Tragedy in northern Iran: Training aircraft crash claims three lives VIDEO

A small police training aircraft tragically crashed near Rasht in northern Iran on January 15, claiming the lives of three onboard. 

State media outlet IRNA reported that the incident was caused by a technical malfunction, per Caliber.Az.

"The light training aircraft went down due to a technical issue," the police confirmed, describing the victims — the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer — as having been "martyred" in the line of duty.

Iran's aviation sector has faced numerous challenges in recent years, with accidents often linked to difficulties in maintaining its ageing fleets. The country has struggled to procure spare parts due to a long-standing US embargo, which has been in place since 1995. This embargo restricts Iranian airlines from purchasing new civilian aircraft or vital components, forcing many aircraft to remain grounded or operate under precarious conditions.

This latest tragedy recalls a history of aviation disasters in Iran. In May of last year, a helicopter crash claimed the lives of former President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and six others.

Additionally, in 2009, a Caspian Airlines Tupolev-154 en route to Armenia crashed into a field, killing all 168 passengers and crew. That disaster was also attributed to a technical failure, underscoring the dire state of Iran's aviation infrastructure.

By Tamilla Hasanova