IRAN DID SHOOT DOWN AIRLINER
General admits mistake and says: ‘I wish I could die’
In Tehran last night
Protests broke out across capital Tehran after General Amir Ali Hajizadeh claimed his unit mistook the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 for a cruise missile.
General Hajizadeh, head of the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, said: “I wish I could die and not witness such an accident.”
Iran’s admission sparked huge demonstrations over the blunder that killed 82 Iranians among the airliner’s 176 passengers and crew.
Thousands took to the streets to demand the resignation of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
There were chants of “death to liars”, “death to the dictator” and “shameless”.
Crowds called the Revolutionary Guards “incompetent” and “the people’s shame”. Some placed candles and flowers at shrines.
PRAYERS
Riot police used batons, water cannon and tear gas to try to break up the protests, which were centred around four universities.
Earlier, Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani blamed human error for the “unforgivable mistake”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” he said.
“My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences.
“Investigations continue to identify and prosecute this great tragedy.”
The extraordinary apologies follow days of vehement denials from Iran that it downed Kiev-bound Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752 just moments after it took off from Tehran airport on Wednesday.
Officials had suggested a technical fault had downed the plane and accused the US of spreading lies about the crash.
It happened hours after Iran fired over
The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regets this disastrous mistake HASSAN ROUHANI IRANIAN PRESIDENT
a dozen missiles at US bases in Iraq but killed nobody. The blitz was supposed to be revenge for America’s assassination of its top military leader and national hero Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike on January 3. But during last night’s Tehran protests, some ripped up pictures of the warlord.
One Iranian journalist wrote on
Twitter: “They were supposed to take their harsh revenge against America, not the people.” As well as the 82 Iranians on the doomed jet, victims included four Britons, 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, plus Swedes, Afghans and Germans.
One senior US official said: “Iran’s reckless actions have again had devastating consequences.”
Boris Johnson said Tehran’s admission
Downed jet
“reinforces the importance of de-escalating tensions in the region”.
The PM’S plea came after the US revealed it had tried to take out another top Iranian military figure on the same day Soleimani was killed.
Abdul Reza Shahlai, of the Revolutionary Guards, was reportedly the target of a failed airstrike in Yemen.
dan.warburton@mirror.co.uk