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Iran blames human error as it admits it shot down Ukrainian plane, after days of denial
- Iranian military mistook the aircraft for a ‘hostile target’ after it launched missiles at US forces
- The Revolutionary Guard blamed a communication failure, saying an officer had split seconds to decide if the passenger plane posed a threat
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Iran on Saturday admitted its military accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner near Tehran airport, making a U-turn on several days of denials, as the country’s president described the downing of the flight as “a great tragedy and unforgivable mistake”.
The plane, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during take-off on Wednesday morning, just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces.
All 176 on board were killed, including 82 Iranians, at least 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials. The plane was flying to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Iranian state media said on Saturday the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned toward a “sensitive military centre” of the Revolutionary Guard. The military was at its “highest level of readiness”, the statement said, amid the heightened tensions with the US.
“In such a condition, because of human error and in a unintentional way, the flight was hit,” the statement said.
Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Saturday apologised for the “unforgivable mistake”.
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