This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
On January 8, 2020, a Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down by an Iranian missile, killing all 176 people on board. The incident occurred just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two US airbases in Iraq.
The plane, which was en route to Kyiv, came down near Imam Khomeini Airport shortly after take-off. Victims included dozens of Iranians and Canadians, as well as nationals from Ukraine, the UK, Afghanistan, and Germany.
Iran initially denied reports that one of its missiles had brought down the Ukrainian plane near the capital, Tehran. However, pressure quickly mounted after Western intelligence officials said evidence pointed to Iranian involvement.
On January 11, 2020, President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran had admitted to unintentionally shooting down the plane. He described the crash as an 'unforgivable mistake' and apologized to the families of the victims.
The military said the jet turned towards a sensitive site belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and was then mistaken for a hostile aircraft. The military apologized for downing the plane, saying it would upgrade its systems to prevent such 'mistakes' in the future.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the military to investigate 'the possible shortcomings or mistakes' that led to the crash. He confirmed that there was 'proof of human error' and requested the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to prevent it happening again.
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif apologized to the families of the victims but laid part of the blame on the US. 'Human error at a time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to [this] disaster,' he said.
