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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN/AP) -- An Iranian military plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran Monday morning, state-run IRINN television reported, killing 36 servicemen.
According to the network, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) "plane flying from Tehran to Shiraz crashed soon after takeoff from Mehrabad airport."
An IRGC spokesman said 32 passengers and six crew died in the crash, IRINN reported.
The aircraft, an Antonov-74, went down around 7:30 a.m. (11 p.m. ET Sunday) and is a light transport airplane designed to carry passengers or cargo, depending on its configuration.
The Associated Press reported that in January, a small military passenger Falcon jet crashed in northwestern Iran, killing the commander of the ground forces of the IRGC. Just one month earlier, a U.S.-made C-130 military plane crashed into a 10-story building near Tehran's Mehrabad airport, killing 115 people.
In Iran, the Revolutionary Guards are an elite organization separate from the regular armed forces. Founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Guards have their own air, naval and ground components. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a former commander in the Guards.
Iran has a history of aircraft accidents incurring a heavy death toll. The government has blamed a U.S. trade embargo, which prohibits Iran from buying parts for its old U.S.-built aircraft, but critics have also said planes are poorly maintained.
According to the network, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) "plane flying from Tehran to Shiraz crashed soon after takeoff from Mehrabad airport."
An IRGC spokesman said 32 passengers and six crew died in the crash, IRINN reported.
The aircraft, an Antonov-74, went down around 7:30 a.m. (11 p.m. ET Sunday) and is a light transport airplane designed to carry passengers or cargo, depending on its configuration.
The Associated Press reported that in January, a small military passenger Falcon jet crashed in northwestern Iran, killing the commander of the ground forces of the IRGC. Just one month earlier, a U.S.-made C-130 military plane crashed into a 10-story building near Tehran's Mehrabad airport, killing 115 people.
In Iran, the Revolutionary Guards are an elite organization separate from the regular armed forces. Founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Guards have their own air, naval and ground components. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a former commander in the Guards.
Iran has a history of aircraft accidents incurring a heavy death toll. The government has blamed a U.S. trade embargo, which prohibits Iran from buying parts for its old U.S.-built aircraft, but critics have also said planes are poorly maintained.
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