Iran 'deeply regrets' shooting down Ukrainian plane, but partially blames 'U.S. adventurism'

Iran plane crash site.
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Iran changed course Saturday, admitting to unintentionally shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet with 176 people on board this week. But Tehran didn't want to let the United States off the hook for the disaster in its apology.

Iran's armed forces headquarters released a statement explaining that the Boeing 737 aircraft "came close to a sensitive [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] military center at an altitude and flight condition that resembled hostile targeting," which prompted the fatal error. The IRGC took full responsibility for the incident, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake," and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered his "deep sympathy" to the victims, who were from Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. But Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif did link the event to the U.S.'s decision to kill Iranian Major Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike in Iraq earlier this month. "Human error at [a] time of crisis caused by U.S. adventurism led to disaster," Zarif tweeted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv expects Tehran to launch a "full and open" investigation and "bring those responsible to justice." Rouhani said investigations and prosecution would continue. Read more at CNN and NBC News.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.