Iranian warplane crashes in sea - report

TEHRAN, Nov 26 (Reuters) An Iranian warplane crashed today in the Sea of Oman south of the Islamic Republic, the state news agency IRNA reported. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

The F-4 Phantom, a US-built plane belonging to Iran's navy, crashed at 12:45 pm (1445 hrs IST) in the sea near the southern port city of Konarak, the report said without giving further details.

Experts say Iran has a poor air safety record, with a string of crashes in the past years, many involving old US-built aircraft bought before the 1979 Islamic revolution.

United States, which broke diplomatic ties in 1980 after Iranian students took US diplomats hostage, has imposed sanctions on Iran that making it difficult for Tehran to buy spare parts for its military and civilian aircraft.

REUTERS PD BD1740