This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
On January 8, 2020, a devastating tragedy occurred when a Ukraine International Airlines flight crashed in Iran, killing all 176 people on board.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has since admitted that the country's military accidentally shot down the plane, in a rare display of candor.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake," President Rouhani said, offering his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims.
Iran's military also issued a statement, acknowledging that their armed forces were on high alert at the time of the crash, and that "numerous defense centers around the country reported seeing increased activity on radar which caused a heightened sensitivity in the aerial defense centers of the country."
Experts have criticized Iran for not closing off civilian airspace after launching missiles, which may have contributed to the incident.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also acknowledged the airliner was brought down by a missile, but shifted blame to the United States, saying "human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster."
The plane was shot down shortly after Iran launched strikes at Iraqi bases housing US troops, in retaliation for the US killing of a top Iranian general in Iraq earlier that month.
