Linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Tasnim cited Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi, who said the agreements had been finalized with Russia

Helicopter fleet was recently deactivated after serving in the Amazon region

According to a document attributed to the Air Force Command, the deactivation of the 12 AH-2 Saber aircraft will begin in March

Aircraft, purchased from Aeroflot in 1995, flew for a short time and have been dismantled for years

According to a French website, the Brazilian Air Force is negotiating sales of Russian combat helicopters to the Libyan National Army, an anti-Islamist military group