Iran says it ‘unintentionally’ shot down Ukrainian jetliner
Rescuers work at the air crash site of a Boeing 737 Ukrainian passenger plane in Parand district, southern Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]
Xinhua| 2020-01-11 Saturday
Iran’s state TV on Saturday quoted the Iranian military as saying that it “unintentionally” shot down the Ukrainian jetliner on Wednesday, in which all the 176 passengers and crew members on board were killed.
Iranian armed forces said they mistook the Ukrainian jet for a hostile plane, according to the state TV.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter that Iran “deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” and offered his condolences.
He also tweeted that Iran will continue investigations to “identify and prosecute the tragedy.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said on Twitter that “human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.”
The Ukrainian Airlines passenger plane crashed Wednesday morning near Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran shortly after taking off.
Iran on Friday urged all parties involved to contribute to a probe into the crash.
