Iran missile hit Ukrainian plane cockpit killing pilots instantly, top official claims
THE pilots flying the Ukrainian passenger plane which was struck by an Iranian missile died INSTANTLY, a top security official said.
Pictures of the wreckage show the Boeing 737 was hit on the underside of the cockpit when it crashed near Tehran on Tuesday, Oleskiy Danilov said.
And after repeated denials, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani admitted Saturday his forces gunned down the civilian aircraft because they mistook it for an American fighter plane.
The Iranian military apologised for the disaster, promising to upgrade their systems to prevent such mistakes in the future.
They said those responsible for the strike on the plane would be prosecuted.
But in brazen remarks, Iranian leaders attempted to shift the blame claiming the "aggressiveness" of the United States in the region made their soldiers jittery.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: "A sad day. Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster."
The Boeing 737, operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Iran's acknowledgement of responsibility for the crash is likely to inflame public sentiment against authorities following General Soleimani's killing last week.
The general, who US officials branded a "terrorist mastermind", died in a drone strike ordered by President Trump was seen as a national icon in Iran.
Soleimani was killed days after Iran-backed militias attacked the US embassy in Iraqi capital Baghdad.
The jet disaster crash comes just weeks after Iranian authorities quashed nationwide protests ignited by a hike in gasoline prices.
The plane was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members, including 82 Iranians, at least 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.
After the crash, bulldozers were pictured clearing away debris at the crash site.