Death of Two Iranian Pilots

Two Iranian fighter pilots were killed due to a "technical issue" that their deadly aircraft suffered, according to Iranian state television. The report indicated that the fighter jet, which was of the "F-5" model, encountered a technical problem on Tuesday, leading to the death of the pilots. The incident occurred in the city of Dezful, southwest of the country, about 444 kilometers from the capital Tehran, and near the border with Iraq. However, the nature of the "technical issue" was not revealed, and no further details were provided. The report noted that the relevant authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the malfunction of the Iranian air force's F-5 fighter jet, pointing out that the incident occurred before takeoff. The report stated that the deceased pilots were Kianoush Basati and Hossein Nami, but it did not mention their military ranks, according to the Associated Press. It is worth noting that the Iranian air force has a variety of American-made warplanes that Iran purchased before the 1979 revolution. Iranian fighter jets are old and outdated due to long-term Western sanctions on Iran, which seeks to maintain its aging fleet of American fighter aircraft. The Iranian air force also has Russian-made aircraft of the "MiG" and "Sukhoi" models.