Iran discussed the purchase of air transports and
other aircraft from Beijing as the regime continues to suffer losses of military officers from air crashes, officials said.
Sanctions have restricted Iran's search for parts and support for U.S. and European aircraft some of which were purchased before the overthrow of the Shah by Islamic extremists in 1979.
On Monday, 11 people, including senior military commanders, were killed
in an Iranian military plane crash. The victims included Brig. Gen. Ahmad
Kazemi, commander of the ground forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps.
Iranian sources said Kazemi's deputy as well as the commanders of IRGC
artillery, operations and liason were killed. The downed plane was
identified as a French-origin Falcon-20 VIP jet, manufactured by Dassault
Aviation, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Iran and China have potential for long-term collaboration based on
mutual confidence and safeguarding each other's interests," Iranian charge
d'affaires in China, Farhad Asadi, said.
Asadi said Iran has sought aircraft suppliers amid more than a decade of
U.S. sanctions. He cited the December 2005 crash of a C-130 air transport in
Teheran, in which more than 100 people were killed.
"Sanctions against a nation on various issues such as non-military
aircraft parts can be pursued at the international level," Asadi told the
China Youth Daily in remarks quoted by the official Iranian news agency,
Irna.
Officials have termed China Iran's leading partner in the field of
military and energy. They said Iran has sought Chinese help to produce
military transports and passenger aircraft. A similar Iranian effort has
taken place with Ukraine.
In the mid-1970s, Iran acquired four Falcon-20 aircraft from France.
Officials cited bad weather for Monday's crash.
