Iran military helicopter crashes into fruit market in Isfahan, pilot and co-pilot among four killed

A military helicopter in Iran crashed into a fruit and vegetable market in central Iran on Tuesday, reportedly killing four people.

The accident occurred in the city of Dorcheh, about 330 kilometres (205 miles) south of Tehran, in Isfahan province, according to state media.

Isfahan is home to a major Iranian air base as well as a nuclear facility that was reportedly targeted by the US during the June conflict between Iran and Israel.

The aircraft was on a training mission, state television reported. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash, it said, broadcasting footage of wreckage and smoke billowing from market stalls.

Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars reported that two civilians at the market were also killed in the incident.

This marks the second aviation accident in less than a week in Iran. A separate F-4 fighter jet crashed near the western city of Hamedan, killing one pilot.

Iran has a history of deadly aviation accidents. International sanctions have restricted access to spare parts for Iranian aircraft, leaving the country reliant on ageing helicopters and jets for both military and civilian use.

Students began the new academic term with gatherings over the weekend, reviving chants from nationwide protests against the country’s theocratic leadership that peaked in January and were met with a deadly crackdown.

On Monday, the third consecutive day of campus protests, videos showed students at a university in Tehran setting fire to the national flag adopted after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, AFP reported.

“Sacred things and the flag are two examples of these red lines that we must protect and not cross, even at the height of anger,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said.

She remarked that Iran's scholars “carry trauma in their spirits and have witnessed events that might distress and infuriate them; this resentment is justified”.

The initial wave of protests began in December, sparked by economic hardship in the sanctions-hit country, but quickly escalated into widespread demonstrations that peaked on 8 and 9 January, posing one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in decades.

The unrest triggered a harsh state response that reportedly left thousands dead. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented more than 7,000 deaths, while cautioning that the actual toll could be significantly higher.

Iranian authorities acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths but say the violence was the result of “extremist acts” instigated by the United States and Israel.

During the unrest, authorities sought to strike a balance between acknowledging protesters’ economic grievances and condemning those described as “rioters”.

Mohajerani said on Tuesday that an investigative committee is examining “the origins and elements” of the protests and will present its findings.