Iran says those responsible for jetliner downing will be prosecuted

The Iranian government admitted on Saturday (local time) that it is responsible for mistakenly shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet right after its take-off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran and causing 176 deaths.

Iran’s military authorities said it was “human error” that led to the drowning on Iranian state TV on Saturday. “Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani via his Twitter account. The president called and apologized to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, which severed the relations with Iran in 2012 due to the Syrian civil war and Iran’s nuclear weapon development, and pledged a thorough investigation into the incident. Among the killed by the incident, there were 63 Canadians.

After the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran, the U.S. has added sanctions against 17 Iranian subjects, such as eight high-ranking Iranian officials, including Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhan, and a steel manufacturer. Further sanctions that are applied to those engaging in transactions with the 17 subjects have been also announced.


Se-Hyung Lee turtle@donga.com