(TargetLiberty.org) – Iranian General Hossein Salami recently apologized for shooting down a Ukranian passenger jet containing 176 passengers and crew. There were no survivors.
During a speech to Iran’s parliament, Salami said, “I swear to almighty God that I wished I was on that plane and had crashed with them and burned but had not witnessed this tragic incident. He then added, “I have never been this embarrassed in my entire life. Never.”
Armed Forces’ internal investigation has concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people.
Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake. #PS752— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) January 11, 2020
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, also released a series of tweets stating that investigations into the missile attack will continue.
The Ukrainian jet was shot down only a few hours after an Iranian missile strike on two airbases in Iraq. The attack led many people to believe that Iran was responsible for the crash, which they denied for a few days. Iran’s initial statements included that the plane may have been defective and that the black box was damaged.
It was only after officials in the US and Canada revealed they had evidence showing the Iranian government was involved that they admitted their role in the crash and apologized.
According to a statement from the Iranian military on state TV, the jet had turned in the direction of a military center, claiming that it had the “flying posture and altitude of an enemy target.”
Ukraine International Airlines says the plane never deviated from its original flight plan.
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