The fearfully frequent air crashes in Iran are evidence of serious problems facing the country's aviation. Talking to NEWS.am, an Armenian expert in air safety said that it is the USA-imposed economic sanctions that prevent Iran from properly maintaining its obsolescent aircraft fleet. This causes problems not only with the purchase of new air liners, but also with spare parts for them.
The two air crashes that claimed almost 200 lives occurred in Iran on July 15 and 25.

Commenting on the series of crashes, the expert said that the international community, particularly the USA, shares the guilt for the passengers' death. According to him, the US authorities imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran for political reasons. Specifically, they banned the sale of air liners and spare parts to Iran. As a result, Iran's obsolete aircraft fleet mainly consists of old Soviet air planes and American liners sold to Iran as far back as 1970s. “The USA-imposed sanctions prevent Iran from developing its civil aviation. So new air crashes and victims are inevitable,” the expert said.

It should be noted that the Iranian authorities too are charging the USA with putting insurmountable obstacles to the development of Iran's civil aviation. The Iranian authorities once officially informed the Secretariat of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), charging the USA with grossly violating Article 44 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as Chicago Convention of 7 December 1944). Under the Article, a signatory to the Convention is not to prevent another signatory from developing its civil aviation sector. The USA is actually grossly violating the Article.