EU leaders rally to save nuke deal; Iran admits downing jet
European foreign ministers yesterday said the escalation between the United States and Iran had risked progress against Islamic State militants, and rallied behind their tattered nuclear deal, despite US President Donald Trump’s renewed call for allies to abandon it.
Their meeting preceded a shock statement by Iran last night, which announced its military “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard.
The statement blamed “human error” for the shootdown.
The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces.
Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft.
But the US and Canada, citing intelligence, said they believe Iran shot down the aircraft.
The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials.
Iran apologised for the disaster and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent such “mistakes” in the future.
It also said those responsible for the strike on the plane would be prosecuted.
Before the announcement, the European Union had said it would “spare no effort” to keep the 2015 nuclear deal alive, even though Tehran said it would no longer be bound by the agreement’s restrictions on centrifuges and uranium enrichment after the Trump administration’s killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
“It’s not dead, we have to bring it back to life,” Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said of the deal as he arrived for the emergency meeting with counterparts from the 28-member bloc.
While not directly criticising the Trump administration’s decision to
● US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promises “appropriate action” in response to its assessment Iranian missile responsible for the downing of Ukrainian passenger jet in Iran, with loss of all 176 lives.
● After denying responsibility, Iran last night announced its military “unintentionally” shot down the jet, blaming “human error”.
● Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Francois Champagne announced creation of international working group to press Iran for thorough investigation amid US/Canadian accident investigator fears probe may be compromised by removal of wreckage from site.
● US President Donald Trump orders new retaliatory economic sanctions on Iran, says Iranian militants had planned major attacks on four US embassies.
● Iraq’s caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi asks US to work out road map for US troop withdrawal; US rejects request, saying they should talk about how to “recommit” to their partnership.
● US officials say US military tried, but failed, to take out another senior Iranian commander, Abdul Reza Shahlai, on the same day US airstrike killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani. — kill Soleimani — which European officials indicated they were not informed of in advance — EU leaders raised concerns about the fallout.
“The crisis risked jeopardising years of effort to stabilise Iraq,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles said, citing implications for the “decisive work” of the international coalition fighting Isis militants.
The European foreign ministers also discussed possible consequences for Iran if it was determined one of its missiles shot down the passenger jet.