The jet, a training aircraft, crashed as it attempted to land in Dezful in the southwestern Khuzestan province, the official IRNA news agency said.

Its pilot was killed but his co-pilot survived and was hospitalised.

The cause of the accident was unknown.

Iran bought its F-5 fighters from the United States before the 1979 Islamic revolution and still has 48 in service, according to the latest estimates by Jane's IHS Markit.

Last week, Tehran unveiled its first domestically built fighter jet, which is closely modelled on the F-5.