DUBAI: Iran on Saturday morning admitted the shot-down if Ukrainian passenger jet that killed all 176 people on board, said a statment issued by Irani Military adding, the shoot-down was “unintentional” and blamed “human error” after consistent initial denial that it had happened in the tense aftermath of Iranian missile strikes on US targets in Iraq.
A statement of Irani military stated, “A Ukrainian aircraft which crashed earlier this week in Iran had flown close to a sensitive military site belonging to the elite Revolutionary Guards and was shot down unintentionally due to human error”.
It said that, at the time, planes had been spotted on radar near strategic sites which led to “further alertness” in air defence units, adding that responsible parties would be referred to a judicial department in the military and would be held accountable.
The Iranian military statement also expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
Iran “deeply regrets” the accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner earlier this week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a tweet.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” he wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences.” The investigation will continue, Rouhani wrote in a separate tweet.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, also tweeted today put the blame on “US adventurism” and stated, “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.”
Those responsible for shooting down the Ukrainian jet in Tehran this week would “immediately” be brought before military justice, the general staff of the Iranian armed forces stated.
“We assure you that by pursuing fundamental reforms in operational processes at the armed forces’ level we will make it impossible to repeat such errors,” the general staff added in a press release.
Wednesday’s crash heightened pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States and tit-for-tat attacks. A US drone strike had killed an Iranian general in Iraq on January 3, prompting Tehran to fire at US targets on Wednesday.
The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, at least 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials.
Canada, which had 57 citizens on board, and the United States both said they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft although they said it was probably an accident. Canada’s foreign minister had told Iran “the world is watching.”
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