A senior commander of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said he accepted full responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner.

"I take full responsibility and I will obey whatever decision is taken," Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said in remarks broadcast on state television.

"I would prefer to die rather than witness such an incident."

The plane was mistaken for a cruise missile, Hajizadeh said, and was brought down using a short-range Iranian missile.

Ukraine wants punishment, compensation from Iran for downed plane

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he expects a full investigation, a full admission of guilt and compensation from Iran after the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane.

His comments on Saturday came shortly after Tehran said it had mistakenly shot down the plane killing all 176 people on board on January 8, on the same day it struck military bases hosting US troops in retaliation for Washington's assassination of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week.

"Iran has pleaded guilty to crashing the Ukrainian plane. But we insist on a full admission of guilt," Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook.

"We expect from Iran assurances of their readiness for a full and open investigation, bringing those responsible to justice, the return of the bodies of the dead, the payment of compensation, official apologies through diplomatic channels," he said.

"Our 45 experts must get full access and cooperation to establish justice," he added.

Iran said that its military "unintentionally" shot down the Ukrainian jetliner, blaming "human error" for the incident in which the military mistook Flight 752 for a "hostile target".

National broadcaster Press TV also quoted Iran's armed forces as saying that the plane had flown close to a "sensitive military site".

The military said it was at its "highest level of readiness" amid the heightened tensions with the United States. It apologised and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent future tragedies.

In a statement posted on social media, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote that the country "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake".

"My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences," he said, adding that "investigations continue to identify and prosecute this great tragedy and unforgivable mistake".

In a social media post, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that "human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to the disaster".

"Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims and to other affected nations."

Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft, calling such suggestions "psychological warfare". But then the US and Canada, citing intelligence, said they believed Iran had shot down the aircraft.

The jetliner, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Ukraine International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces in Iraq.

Al Jazeera's Assed Baig, reporting from Tehran, said questions were now being raised as to why Iranian authorities kept the country's airspace open during a military operation.

"There's a lot of explaining to do by Iranian authorities. People want to know why and how it happened."

The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, when it was shot down. Many of the victims were Iranian with dual nationality.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/ukraine-punishment-compensation-iran-downed-plane-200111073725674.html

That’s more better from Iran unlike USA that won’t accept their own mistakes. Flying over a military site in a situation like this leaves one without the second thought of thinking . Guess they were been protective but had a miscalculation.

Innocent souls just died!

How does a wide bodied 737-800 look like a cruise missile even airborne?
Bunch of sick jokers

Sad

Privatepart00:
That’s more better from Iran unlike USA that won’t accept their own mistakes. Flying over a military site in a situation like this leaves one without the second thought of thinking . Guess they were been protective but had a miscalculation.

This is no mistake, it's not acceptable. it was done deliberately, they thought the Americans in Iran were trying to leave for safety and they shot it down, not knowing that they are no Americans but Canadians . Evil terrorist , they just did what they know how to do best.

Privatepart00:
That’s more better from Iran unlike USA that won’t accept their own mistakes. Flying over a military site in a situation like this leaves one without the second thought of thinking . Guess they were been protective but had a miscalculation.

The plane departed a reasonably busy international airport. It isn't a military war zone.

Pentasoft1978:
This is no mistake, it's not acceptable. it was done deliberately, they thought the Americans in Iran were trying to leave for safety and they shot it down, not knowing that they are no Americans but Canadians . Evil terrorist , they just did what they know how to do best.

No offense but from your moniker I'd assume you were born in 1978 yet made a foolish comment. it's now confirmed that age doesn't mean sense or maturity!

now reason this: Iran unintentionally bombed a plane in their turf filled with more than 80% Iranians. yet you claimed it was intentional! and trying to rope this into a terrorist attack even after admitting it was a human error.

oh God stop sending senseless individuals into earth pls. if senseless comments could kill, my soul would have died too.

I agree with the Ukrainian official. Iran should be made to pay compensations to families of the crash victims and openly take responsibilities for their actions. errors like this shouldn't be happening in 2020. or maybe I overestimated technological advancements of so called first class countries.

This shows that Iran is not as strong as people think. Imagine deploying a short range missle against a Boeing plane and thought that something as huge as that is a cruise missile.

Na this people wan fight Israel?

CTPlayer:


The plane departed a reasonably busy international airport. It isn't a military war zone.

abi o.. or maybe they set up the SAM sites close to the airport. that'd be very stupid of the forces and unacceptable.

No matter how a leopard pretends, its skin color will always give it up. Regardless of their acceptance and apologies, Iran just show the world who they really are.

21cents:
No offense but from your moniker I'd assume you were born in 1978 yet made a foolish comment. it's now confirmed that age doesn't mean sense or maturity!

now reason this: Iran unintentionally bombed a plane in their turf filled with more than 80% Iranians. yet you claimed it was intentional! and trying to rope this into a terrorist attack even after admitting it was a human error.

oh God stop sending senseless individuals into earth pls. if senseless comments could kill, my soul would have died too.

Go and study the history of Iran, have been following them up for 10 years. They can kill hundreds of their citizen in other to get one American. do U know who terrorist are. boko haram does not give a Bleep if the entire North East is burnt, all they want is to kill their so called infidels " non muslims"