Iran has admitted that its military “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all (people on board.)
State television, reading out a military statement, blamed “human error” for
shooting down the planethat came down over Tehran on Wednesday. President Rouhani apologized for an “unforgivable mistake”.
It comes after days of denials from Iran that it played any role in the disaster.
A military statement said the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned toward a “sensitive military center” of the Revolutionary Guard. The military was at its “highest level of readiness,” it said, amid the attacks on the US.
“In such a condition, because of human error and in a unintentional way, the flight was hit,” the statement said. It apologized for the disaster and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent such “mistakes” in the future.
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.
💔 – Javad Zarif (@JZarif)January (**********************************************, ******************************
It also said those responsible for the strike on the plane would be prosecuted.
Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, tweeted: “Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake.
“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.”
Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, said in a tweet that the accident happened during a “crisis caused by US adventurism”.
“A sad day. Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.”
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS crashed six minutes after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport early on Wednesday morning.
It came hours after Iran launched a missile strike againstUSforces inin retaliation for the killing ofGeneral Qassem Soleimaniinan American airstrike in Baghdad. The crashprompted speculation that the aircraft was a casualty of crossfire.
The United States, Canada, and Britainhad said on Thursday that they had intelligencewhich proved that the plane had been shot down, but Iran denied this and accused Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, of “politicizing” the tragedy.
There had been accusations by foreign media and officials that Iranhad tampered with the crash site. US media had speculated that Iran may have mistaken the plane for a missile or warplane belonging to the Americans.
The plane, a Boeing 752, was carrying including 82 Iranians, at least (Canadians and) ********************************************** Ukrainians.
“This is the right step for the Iranian government to admit responsibility, and it gives people a step toward closure with,” said Payman Parseyan, a Iranian-Canadian who lost a number of friends in the crash.
“I think the investigation would have disclosed it whether they admitted it or not. This will give them an opportunity to save face.”
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