Boeing Crash Caused By Missile Strike

 

 

Airlines are continuing to avoid Iranian airspace in the wake of missile attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq, as well as the crash of a Boeing 737-800 in Iran’s capital that is believed to have been brought down by a missile.  The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev crashed minutes after takeoff from the airport in Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard.

Iranian officials initially denied that a missile strike was the cause of the crash and claimed the plane was on fire while it was still in the air but stated they were withholding the plane’s black box and would not give it to Boeing or the Americans. The jet crash came only hours after Iran launched missiles at two Iraqi military bases that house U.S. and Iraqi troops as revenge for the U.S. assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani last week.

But pressure quickly mounted after Western intelligence officials said evidence pointed to Iranian involvement.  They later admitted to being responsible claiming an investigation found that “missiles fired due to human error”, President Hassan Rouhani said. He described the crash as an “unforgivable mistake”. The military said the jet turned towards a sensitive site belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and was then mistaken for a cruise missile.

Military officials released a statement that said “ due to heightened tensions with the US, Iran’s military “was at its highest level of readiness.  In such a condition, because of human error and in an unintentional way, the flight was hit.” The military apologized for downing the plane, saying it would upgrade its systems to prevent such “mistakes” in the future. It added that those responsible would be held accountable and prosecuted. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif apologized to the families of the 176 victims but laid part of the blame on the US. “Human error at a time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster,” he said.