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- BBC News World
image sources, Getty Images
The Ukraine International plane had taken off from Tehran bound for Kyiv when it was shot down.
The Ukraine International Boeing 737 plane that crashed near Tehran on Wednesday with 176 people on board was shot down due to ‘human error’, Iranian state television reported, citing a statement by officials military.
The plane was mistaken for a ‘hostile target’ after flying near a ‘vital’ Revolutionary Guard military site on the outskirts of the Iranian capital, the note said, for which it was ‘unintentionally’ beaten down.
The Iranian army was in the “highest alert leveldue to recent tensions with the United States.
“Under these conditions, and following an involuntary human error, a projectile hit the plane”, according to a press release from the staff of the armies, which undertook to bring those responsible to justice.
“Investigations are continuing to identify and prosecute this great tragedy and unforgivable error“Said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, lamenting this” disastrous mistake “.
The video showing the impact of a possible missile on the plane that crashed in Iran
The plane crashed Wednesday morning shortly after taking off en route to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and its final destination Toronto, Canada. All passengers and crew died.
Iran initially attributed what happened to a breakdown in the plane, but several Western powers claimed to have information that it was shot down by an Iranian missile fired by mistake.
A video broadcast by the American press seems to show a missile launched in Tehran which explodes on contact with an aircraft. About 10 seconds later, a loud explosion is heard at ground level.
The plane crash happened hours after the Iranian military attacked two American bases in Iraq, a move against the American country for the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3.
“A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of the Armed Forces internal investigation: Human error at the time of the crisis caused by American adventurism led to disaster,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif said on Twitter. .
“Our deepest regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, the families of all the victims and other affected nations,” he added.
176 deaths
The Ukraine International flight PS752 had taken off on January 8 at 06:12 local time (02:42 GMT) from Imam Khomenei International Airport in Tehran.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, one of the most widely used aircraft models in the world.
The victims on the plane were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, 7 Afghans and 3 British. According to reports, of the 176 people on board, 15 were children.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, had demanded that Tehran allow the participation of experts from his country in the investigation into the accident. Shortly before, US President Donald Trump said he had “suspicions” of a possible demolition.
Iran had denied that the commercial plane had been attacked, accusations it attributed to “psychological warfare against Tehran”.
Analysis by Lyse Doucet
VSor responsible for international affairs of the BBC
It is an important confession at a crucial time for Iran.
To take responsibility for such a tragic mistake is unusual, but so is the current crisis facing the Islamic Republic.
Iran has decided that it must accept responsibility for this disaster in order to avoid a new war of words with the West or to further aggravate the anger and anguish of its own people, shaken by calamities. one after the other.
Undoubtedly, this confession was an act of de-escalation of tensions.
The repercussions inside the country could appear soon. Iran’s foreign minister has previously tried to shift the blame to the United States, saying it was “a crisis caused by American adventurism.”
But now the big question is: who made the decision to allow a civilian plane to take off when Iranian airspace was under so much pressure?
What were the reactions?
57 Canadian citizens were on board the flight that was shot down, which is why Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the crash as “a national tragedy“.
In a statement, he called for “transparency and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims”.
“We will continue to work with our partners around the world to ensure a full and thorough investigation“, he assured.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Tehran to punish those responsible. “We hope that Iran will bring the culprits to justice.
In addition, the president of Ukraine International Airlines declared that he had “no doubt that a member of our crew or of our plane was at the origin of this horrible accident”.
“They were our best boys and girls. The best,” Yevhenii Dykhne said of the nine crew members on board.
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