U.S. Experts and Officials: Iran Accidentally Shot Down Ukrainian Plane

Some experts say the downing of the Ukrainian airliner near Tehran was caused by a missile strike. Ukraine is calling for an independent investigation. The Civil Aviation Organization’s Accident Investigation Bureau said it is prepared to present its evidence in front of the media.

Following Iran’s Islamic Republic’s attack on a military base used by U.S. forces in Iraq, a Ukrainian passenger plane heading from Tehran to Ukraine crashed near Tehran, killing all 176 passengers on board. From the beginning, there was speculation about a possible connection between Iran’s missile launch and the plane disaster, but now U.S. government officials are speculating that the downed Ukrainian passenger plane may have been accidentally hit by Iran’s air defense missile. Several American media outlets reported this on Thursday (January 9).

Donald Trump said he is “suspicious” about the Ukrainian plane crash. The U.S. president told reporters: “It is possible that someone made a mistake.”

Trump rejected Iran’s government claim that the plane crashed due to “technical reasons” and added: “Something very terrible happened.” Trump told reporters: “This has nothing to do with us.”

Some Western intelligence sources, without revealing their names, told news agencies that they are “certain” the Ukrainian plane that crashed near Tehran Wednesday morning was shot down by a missile.

“Newsweek” reported, citing two Pentagon employees, that the Ukrainian plane crash occurred accidentally. The newspaper writes that it is believed Iran’s missile defense system was active after launching missiles at night against the military base used by American soldiers in Iraq.

News agencies CBS and CNN, relying on statements from U.S. officials, said it is possible that the Ukrainian plane was shot down by Iran’s missile defense system.

According to a U.S. official, American satellites detected the firing of two missiles shortly before the plane crashed. According to them, the firing resulted in a large explosion.

Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, rejected on Thursday afternoon any missile strike against the Ukrainian plane and said: “A missile strike against the Ukrainian plane is scientifically impossible and such rumors make no sense.” He added: “There is complete coordination between all military and civilian sectors in Iran, and at the time of the crash, dozens of Iranian and foreign planes were flying in Iran’s airspace, and if a country has no security, how is it possible that this number of flights are taking place in its airspace?”

Britain Joins the Issue

The British government, in support of Ukraine’s request, has called for a “full and transparent investigation” into the cause of the Ukrainian passenger plane crash.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, in a phone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, expressed Britain’s support for a comprehensive investigation to clarify the reasons for the plane being shot down.

The Islamic Republic attributed the Ukrainian plane crash to technical reasons, specifically the aircraft’s engine catching fire.

Mohammad Eslami, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said again on Thursday, December 19, to the ISNA news agency: “Due to a technical defect, the aircraft’s engine caught fire and this caused it to crash.”

Canada: Iranian Officials Understand the Sensitivity of the Issue

Canada’s Prime Minister said: “We have information that the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile.”

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, announced that he has different intelligence sources that indicate the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile.
Trudeau also said: “A comprehensive international investigation should be conducted at the accident site, and Iranian officials have so far shown that they understand the sensitivity of this matter.”

In the crash of the Ukrainian Boeing 737, 176 people were killed, most of whom were Iranian, and 63 were also Canadian citizens.

Civil Aviation Organization’s Accident Investigation Bureau: We are Ready to Present Our Evidence in Front of the Media

Following the publication of news by American media outlets about the possibility of an Iranian defense missile hitting the Ukrainian plane, the director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization’s Accident Investigation Bureau, regarding U.S. officials’ claims about a missile strike on the Ukrainian plane, said: “We have not found any evidence on this matter so far. We have reasons that we are prepared to present in front of all media outlets and reject this rumor.”

Hasan Rezaifar, director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization’s Accident Investigation Bureau, told the ISNA news agency: “In the Persian and English reports published by the Civil Aviation Organization, we also announced that we have not found any evidence or findings so far to prove this matter, and no country in the world can determine the cause of an accident this quickly, but foreign media want to launch an attack against Iran.”

According to the director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization’s Accident Investigation Bureau, Ukrainian specialists are currently present in Iran. Russia and France have also announced their readiness to provide equipment and support facilities.

Source: DW