Iran Admits it Shot Down Ukranian Plane, Ukrain Demands Compensation

Iran has announced that its military “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 onboard.

The statement on Saturday morning blames “human error” for the incident, adding that the military mistook the Ukranian airline for a “hostile target”.

IraNational 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.

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

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a statement on Saturday said his country expects a full admission of guilt and compensation for the jet’s downing. 

The Ukranian plane was downed on January eight, the same day, Iran struck military bases hosting US troops in retaliation for Washington’s assassination of Qasim Suleimani.

Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft. But then the US and Canada, citing intelligence, said they believe Iran shot down the aircraft.