Two Iranian Pilots Reported Dead In Fighter Jet Crash

The F-5 aircraft was part of Iran's aging fleet of planes. (file photo)

Two Iranian pilots have been killed after their U.S.-made F-5 fighter jet crashed near the country's border with Iraq.

Officials said they are investigating the cause of the crash, which happened on April 21 in Abdanan Province.

The flight originated from a military air base in Dezful, about 460 kilometers southwest of Tehran.

The F-5 aircraft was part of Iran's aging fleet of U.S.-made planes purchased before the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

In January 2012, a U.S.-made F-14 crashed after takeoff, also killing two crew members.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Mehr