From Associated press on Tuesday:
Back to topPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran is stronger than ever and warned that its military will “cut the hand” of anyone who attacks. But a military parade where he spoke was marred when an air force plane crashed, killing seven people, according to state radio. State TV showed video footage of burning wreckage from the military plane surrounded by fire trucks in farmlands south of Tehran. There was not immediate word on the cause of the crash, but the Iranian military — as well its civilian airlines — have been plagued by lethal accidents. The crashes are blamed in part on U.S. sanctions that make it difficult for Iran to get spare parts, but experts have also said airlines are strapped for cash and often have poor maintenance. State radio and television did not specify the type of plane that crashed, saying only it was used for transport. The parade marked the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war in which an estimated 1 million people were killed.