Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov criticized the US for the sanctions: “We are talking about deliberate harm to citizens who use these planes and when spare parts are not provided.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the United States is indirectly responsible for the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi. Lavrov said on Tuesday that US sanctions against Iran have worsened security in Iranian aviation. Raisi’s helicopter crashed in bad weather on Sunday in a mountainous area near the Azerbaijan border.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amiraptolahian was also killed. Iran has not yet released any official information on the cause of the crash. An American Bell 212 helicopter crashed on a mountain top, according to Iranian media.
“The Americans deny it, but the fact is that other countries to which the United States has imposed economic sanctions do not receive spare parts for American equipment, and this also applies to aviation,” Lavrov said about the helicopter crash. “We’re talking here about intentional harm to civilians who use these aircraft, and the failure to provide spare parts is directly linked to lowering the level of safety.”
Lots of Bell Helicopters in Iran
Iran was the largest buyer of Bell helicopters before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Not sure where the bad engine came from. Decades of sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program have made it difficult for the country to obtain spare parts or upgrade its machinery.
Lavrov said he spoke with an Iranian representative and said there was no reason to assume Iran’s foreign policy would change after the deaths of Raisi and Amiraptolahian. He was assured of continuity in the relationship between the two countries. Ali Bagheri Ghani, the previous vice president, was appointed as Iran’s foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin had already spoken on the phone with Interim President Mohammad Mogbar on Monday. As Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all major matters, such as foreign policy and the Iranian nuclear program.
Russia and Iran cooperate closely in many fields, including supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The West also accuses Iran of supplying Russia with Shahed drones used by the Russian military in its war against Ukraine. (APA/Reuters)
