Despite the bravado about “capturing” an RQ-170 and then copying it, the truth is that Iran’s aerospace industry is in its infancy. Nowhere is this more aptly displayed than the latest airliner crash. The problem extends to its military aviation as well as the video from 2011 shows.
The Iran-140, a locally made copy of the Antonov An-140, apparently lost an engine on takeoff.  This is the fourth Iran-140 crash in 12 years. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani issued a directive grounding all Iran-140s until a government-led investigation uncovers the root cause. This should be straightforward.
Western sanctions are biting Iran’s aerospace and airline industry hard.  Losing one engine on takeoff is not a sufficient reason for a twin engined aircraft to crash. Something more insidious may be at work here. For example, and this is speculation on our part, the aircraft may have been equipped with gray market parts which failed.
That western sanctions are working is clear. We do not intend to get into the politics of the case. But it also seems clear that Iran and its western interlocutors should hasten to work out differences that at least allow Iranian airlines access to parts and newer aircraft. The number of fatal Iranian aircraft accidents is shocking.
Why should the West help Iran have an ability to fly airplanes? It is not merely “politics” to point out that Iran has a massive nuclear program, that it has threatened to nuke Israel and the US, and aircraft are a natural way to deliver weapons.
Until Iran is no longer a rogue nation, the West should be happy if Iran has limited or no aircraft transport capability.
It would have been great if President Obama had taken this opportunity to announce allowing Iran purchasing new commercial planes!
To me this was another lost opportunity for US with this regards for both Iran & US.
This will come someday, but certainly after the end of President Obama’s term. Mr. Obama has his hands quite full right now with troubles in the Middle East, some of which are supported by Iran… He probably doesn’t want to offer a major concession to Iran without getting something truly major in return.
At the start of his first term, Mr. Obama made overtures to the Arab/Muslim world, but they were ignored abroad and derided at home (Yes, I know, Iranians are not Arabs).
Yes, but it takes a “Great Leader” to take advantage of opurtunitties and to define the history.
Truth be told, America does not have any better friend in the middle east than Iran (not even Israel! I know my Jewish friends will disagree. However, they should remember, Israel takes and Iran gives).
Yes, America has caused number of issues to Iran that as Iranian/American are very difficult to forgive or forget.
Iran has caused issues to America since it’s revolution that are the same for us as Americans point of view.
Most importantly both countries have issues with each other that may or may not be resolved.
Ok, I can understand that. So, we don’t have to be best friends. But, we must not be enemies!
After all life goes on. Isn’t 30+ years enough?
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When powers jockey for position, people die.
shame that this happens. Of course N. Korea can have a nuke and Iran can’t. We would live with a nuke capable Iran as we have lived with N. Korea and Pakistan.
But each side has its own limits as to how far they can go (I am not sure an Ayatollah is any worse than a gerrymandered congress!)
And in this case the blame lies in Iran for the civil aviation debacle. They can buy from China and Russia but elect to make their own (in this case). And the steps to create an unstable middle east (more unstable) with Hezbollah and Hamas being a way to get at Israel and the reality of the consequences of making a poor relationship worse.
Funny to think Iran was far better off under the Shah and who would pick what situation now? No idea.
We backed the Shah and that had its own backlash.
Oddly Iraq seems to have made some allowances to talk more and what is maybe good for all concerned but will have to see.
Its going to be a long process simply because you have to move the parties that oppose it a bit at a time.