Iran’s downing of Ukrainian airplane rings a bell
CGTN
On January 8, Iran launched several missiles against American bases in Iraq in retaliation of the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani five days earlier. Later that day, a Ukrainian passenger plane, PS752, carrying 176 people, crashed soon after takeoff from Tehran airport.
Initially, the Iranian authorities refused to provide the plane's recorded data to its manufacturer, Boeing. This was thought to be a reaction against the company's American status. Foreign governments, including the Ukrainian and Canadian (the latter owing to many of the victims being dual Canadian nationals) expressed concern.
Images from the crash site circulated on social media, suggesting that the plane had been hit by a missile, challenging the official claim that it was the result of a technical fault.
Three days later, on January 11, Iran's leadership admitted that the plane had been targeted by its air defense system in the capital. They said the plane was "unintentionally" targeted and that the mistake was "unforgivable."
