In a surprising flip-flop, Iran admitted on Saturday (January 11th) that it was responsible for the plane crash of Ukrainian Airlines, which killed 176 people. "The internal investigation of the armed forces concluded that, regrettably, missiles launched in error caused the crash of the Ukrainian plane and the death of 176 innocent people"Iranian President Hassan Rohani wrote on Twitter. deploring "A great tragedy and an unforgivable error", that his country regretted "Deeply", he added that "Investigations are continuing(have)ent to identify and bring to justice " the responsibles.
The commander of the aerospace branch of the Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday endorsing the "Total responsibility" of this disaster. "I would have preferred to die rather than witness such an accident", added Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh. The missile operator who shot down the Boeing fired without being able to obtain confirmation of a firing order due to a "Jamming" telecoms, said the Iranian general. The soldier flew for a "Cruise missile" and he had "10 seconds" to decide, he said.
"We expect Iran (…) to bring the culprits to justice", "The payment of compensation" and "The return of the victims' bodies"reacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Facebook. Eleven nationals, including nine crew members, are among the victims, the majority of whom are Iranians or Canadians of Iranian origin. "We hope that the investigation will be continued without deliberate delays and unimpeded", he added, calling for a "Full access" to Kiev specialists dispatched to Iran.
The missile hitting the plane appears in a video published Thursday by the American daily The New York Times :
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose 57 nationals are among the victims according to an updated report, also called for "Transparency" so that a "Full and thorough investigation" be conducted.
"Psychological warfare"
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Washington was also responsible for the tragedy, however. A "Human error in times of crisis caused by American adventurism has led to disaster", he commented on Twitter. The accident occurred on Wednesday morning January 8, while Tehran was on high alert for fear of reprisals by the US military. A few hours earlier, Iran had fired missiles against two bases housing American soldiers in Iraq, to avenge the assassination of General Ghassem Soleimani by an American drone strike in Baghdad on January 3.
In a statement issued by the official Irna agency on Saturday, the Iranian military staff admitted that the Ukrainian Airlines aircraft was mistaken for a "Hostile plane" and was hit "Unintentionally" when he seemed to be getting closer "Of a sensitive military center" guardians of the revolution. The plane, which was on the Tehran-Kiev route, was targeted shortly after taking off from Imam-Khomeyni International Airport at 6:10 a.m. local time. Evoking a " human error ", the staff of the Iranian forces has promised to translate " the manager " of tragedy " at once " before military justice.
The confession of the Iranian armed forces marks a dramatic change of foot. Tehran had previously categorically denied the theory, favored by several countries, that the Ukrainian plane was hit by a missile. "One thing is certain, this plane was not hit by a missile"said the president of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, Ali Abedzadeh, on Friday. While a preliminary investigation report attributed the accident to a technical failure of the aircraft, the government spokesman in Tehran had denounced a "Psychological warfare" against Iran.
The prospect that the evidence of Iranian responsibility could be exposed, as international pressures on Tehran increased, could have motivated this about-face. American, Canadian and British officials said on Thursday " highly probable " that Iran shot down the plane in error, based on information obtained from their services.
Invited aeronautical experts
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed the crash for a surface-to-air missile, but said the Iranian fire may have been accidental. Friday, the American secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, also estimated this track "Likely" and said he was confident that once the investigation was completed, "We and the world will take appropriate action in response."
Iran has promised to investigate "Transparent" and to do everything to facilitate the task of countries with victims. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaïko confirmed on Friday that Ukrainian investigators are benefiting from the "Full cooperation" from Tehran. Its 45 experts in Iran were able to gain access to black boxes, plane wreckage, the crash site and conversations between the pilots and the Iranian control tower, he said. According to the head of the Iranian commission of inquiry, Ali Abedzadeh, the recovery of the contents of the black boxes could take from one to two months, and the investigation between one and two years.
Iran also invited Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer, to participate in the investigation, as well as, as observers, aviation experts from the United States, Canada, France and Sweden. Canada has established a coordination group with countries that deplore victims, including Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom. Iranian diplomacy spokesman Abbas Mousavi said a Canadian delegation would be allowed to travel to Iran after diplomatic ties were severed in 2012 to "Dealing with matters relating to Canadian victims".
