(Press TV website) - In reaction to several accidents involving Russian-built Tupolev passenger planes in Iran, the country weighs discharging its entire Tupolev fleet, an Iranian official says.

"All Iranian airline companies have been asked to refurbish their air fleet and to replace Tupolev air planes with other planes," Reza Nakhjavani, the Head of Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, said Sunday.

He said that 23 Tupolev airplanes are currently in service by different Iranian airline companies.

On Saturday, the private Iranian airline, Taban Air, decided to ground three of its Russian-made Tupolev passenger planes and replace them with medium range Boeing airliners.