Crashed Iranian helicopter was US-made and may be so old it predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution

• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash aboard a US-made Bell 212, according to reports.
• The helicopter was between 40 and 50 years of age, experts told Reuters, based on available data.
• US sanctions may have prevented Iran from adequately maintaining the helicopter, one analyst said.

The helicopter that crashed on Sunday with Iran's president on board was US-made and may have been in service since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to reports.