[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Von Due

Iran has American Bell helis for air ambulance duties. Brave souls they are, flying around in machines for which the newest spare part in their workshops is from the 70's. (This actually has me puzzled. Either a trade embargo isn't one or someone forgot to tell Bell about it).

Originally Posted by Schroeder

From what I know they cannibalize some helis for spare parts, get them from 3rd countries that use the same helicopter or in some cases even make their own parts.

Perhaps not so! http://www.iran-daily.com/News/131193.html

Following the removal of Western sanctions, leading international manufacturers of civilian helicopters and spare parts have announced willingness to resume cooperation with Iran and invest in Iranian projects. Speaking to Iran Daily, Mahmoud Azin, the managing director of Iran Helicopter Company, further said in the past four months, French, Italian, German as well as US companies expressed interest in supplying modern helicopters and their spare parts to Iran.

The big problem ain't spare parts it's spare pilots

"At present, we lack young pilots. As stipulated in International Civil Aviation Organization regulations, pilots above 60 years old are not authorized to fly, unless accompanied by a younger copilot. This is while, until a few years ago, the retired staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran constituted a majority of the air fleet's pilots."
To overcome this, Iran's first civil aviation training center was launched last December. "The institute has trained 15 pilots who are to graduate on December 6, 2015."

Somewhat dated; but I suspect business as usual in the ol' Persian Empire: http://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/Iran_Aircraft_Procurement.pdf
Bottom line; whatever Iran needs, it can get incl. Bell parts. http://www.iran-commercial-aviation-congress.com/

16 January 2016 saw the lifting of decades of sanctions against Iran's aviation sector. For years, Iran's aviation has been denied access to spare parts and maintenance practices, which have left hundreds of aircraft in dire need of replacements.

The Iranian civil Aviation sector will be worth billions for overseas suppliers.Iran is a once-in-a-generation emerging market