Iran admits to shooting down Ukrainian plane by mistake - State TV

FM Zarif Tenders apologies to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations

Rouhani vows to ‘identify & prosecute’ all responsible for ‘disastrous mistake’ that led to Ukrainian jet downing

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Demands "Accountability" After Iran's Plane Admission

Tehran Must "Learn Lessons" From Ukraine Plane Disaster, Says The Chairman Of The Russian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee

Iran should have closed down airspace after firing ballistic missiles, experts say

The Ukrainian passenger aircraft with 176 people that recently crashed in Iran’s capital was brought down due to “human error,” RT reported.

Iranian state television said the passenger plane was brought down by mistake, citing еру military.

Fars News report says #Iran SL Ayat. #Khamenei & Pres. @HassanRouhani have been informed of accidental shoot-down of Ukraine plane on Friday (two days after crash). Then, the Leader urged that the information must be reported to the public honestly.
Iran's FM ✔@JZarif : A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces:
Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster
Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.

Iran's military statement read on state media channels came as the first confirmation from Iranian officials that a missile, and not an engine fire, caused the crash last Wednesday.

The statement noted that the shoot-down was “unintentional” and maintained that those responsible would face consequences.

The statement comes after a number of conflicting press reports as to the fate of the aircraft, as well as claims from the United States and Canada that the plane was brought down by an anti-air missile strike, which Iran initially disputed, pending investigation.

All 176 people on board the airliner were killed in the crash.

Ukraine, Canada, UK, US and  Iraqi Intelligence had said on Thursday that the Ukrainian Flight Was bit by Iran's Anti-Aircraft Missile though unintentional.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted that evidence indicates that the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran was shot down by an Iranian missile. He said it may have been "unintentional."

Trudeau's comments was in line with unidentified U.S. officials who said they were confident that Iranian air-defense systems accidentally downed the Boeing 737-800, based on satellite, radar, and electronic data, U.S. media reported on January 9.

Iran ruled out a missile strike as the cause of the crash, saying such a scenario makes “no sense.” But Tehran now admitted that it was downed by mistake.

The latest in the series of escalations and tensions in the Persian region stared with the U.S assassination of the Iran's Commander of IRGC, General Qaseem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iraq's capital on Friday January 3.

Tehran retaliated with missile strikes on Wednesday against the U.S bases on Iraq but without any human calsualties. The shoot down Ukrainian plane by mistake was carried out on the heels of an Iranian missile attack on US bases in Iraq, a culmination of months of rising tensions between the two countries.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has pledged to find and punish all involved in an unintentional shoot down of a Ukrainian aircraft over Tehran, calling it a “disastrous mistake.”

An internal investigation has "concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane and death of 176 innocent people,” Rouhani said in a tweet.

Investigations continue to identify and prosecute this great tragedy and unforgivable mistake.

@HassanRouhani: Armed Forces’ internal investigation has concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people. Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake. #PS752

The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.
My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences.

Read the full statement by the Iranian President on the crash here

All 176 people on board the airliner were killed in the crash, including 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainian crew members and several other nationals of Afghanistan, Germany and the UK.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Demands "Accountability" After Iran's Plane Admission

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government expects the "full cooperation" of Iranian authorities in investigating the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

Full statement here

Tehran Must "Learn Lessons" From Ukraine Plane Disaster, Says The Chairman Of The Russian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee

Iran, which admitted on Saturday that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner killing 176 people, must “learn lessons” from the disaster, the chairman of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee said.

Read the rest statement here

Iran should have closed down airspace after firing ballistic missiles, experts say

Experts who spoke to CNN expressed confusion as to why Iran did not stop commercial flights or close its airspace Wednesday after it fired several ballistic missiles at bases in Iraq where US troops were stationed.

Here's what retired Maj. Gen. James Marks said:

"You have a very hot, contested, busy airspace over Iran," Marks said. "Everybody is on a heightened level of alert, concern, there's a lot of chaos. And they have commercial flights still leaving the Tehran airport, which I think is just amazingly irresponsible."

David Soucie, a former inspector with the FAA, agreed and said the passengers likely had no idea the plane was being flown "right into a war zone"
"It's just completely irresponsible."

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Canada, UK, US, Iraqi Intelligence Say Ukrainian Flight Was Hit By Anti-Aircraft Missile