In the ongoing saga of the last three days, Iran did admit earlier today that their armed forces accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines aircraft in Tehran with a surface-to-air missile.
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, en route to Kyiv, was shot down on Wednesday 8th of January 2020 near Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran shortly after take-off, and only hours after Iran had fired missiles at two air bases housing US forces in Iraq.
Evidence of missile hit
Part of the missile found on the crash site
For three days, Iran had denied reports its missiles had brought down the plane claiming it “impossible”, with one spokesman accusing Western nations of “lying and engaging in psychological warfare”.
But today morning (Saturday 11 Jan), a statement read on state TV accepted the plane had been shot down.
Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace commander said a missile operator had acted independently and alone, mistaking the plane for a “cruise missile” as there had been reports that such missiles had been fired at Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Iran’s Armed Forces to investigate the “possible shortcomings” that led to the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s top security official, Oleksiy Danilov, has told the BBC that his country’s investigators had already gathered evidence that a missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger jet, even before Iran changed its position. Also, Mr. Danilov said they have evidence that the missile hit underneath the cockpit immediately killing the pilots which explains why the pilots had not sent any distress signals.
Unfortunately, it was a disastrous mistake by Iran that ultimately cost 176 lives on board the Ukrainian Boeing aircraft and put Iran in an uncertain political situation with the international community.
The crash drew comparison to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was downed by a missile in Ukraine in 2014.
