Iran now admits it “unintentionally” shot down the Ukrainian International Airlines passenger jet that went down near Tehran airport on Wednesday, and blames “human error”, the Associated Press reports.
The plane crash, which killed 176 people, happened soon after Iranian missile strikes targeted Iraqi bases housing US-led coalition personnel — an offensive launched in retaliation for the killing of Iranian commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport on Jan. 3, 2020.
Iran denied for days that the aircraft had been shot down, but the US and Canada said they believed otherwise, citing intelligence. A video doing the rounds on social media appeared to show the precise moment of impact.
