USA, Canada, UK "Shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missile"
Iranian authorities dismiss as "psychological warfare," refuse to hand over black box
On the 7th (local time), a Boeing 737-800 passenger plane operated by Ukraine International Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran, resulting in the deaths of all 176 passengers on board. Iranian authorities stated that the crash was due to a mechanical failure, but Western countries including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom believe the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile accidentally fired by the Iranian military. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Concerns are rising that the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran, Iran, will escalate the confrontation between the US and Iran into a 'West versus Iran' conflict. Western countries including the US, UK, and Canada have simultaneously stated that the Ukrainian passenger plane was hit by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. Major European airlines are canceling routes over Iran following missile shootdown rumors. The Iranian government has refuted these claims as illogical and requested investigators from Western countries to conduct an accurate investigation into the cause of the accident. However, it is steadfastly refusing to hand over the aircraft's black boxes.
According to foreign media including Bloomberg News, on the 9th (local time), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated at a press conference held in the capital Ottawa, "The Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," adding, "We have obtained multiple pieces of information from Canadian intelligence agencies and allied countries." Among the 176 people who all died in the accident, 63 were Iranian-Canadians. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said on the same day, "There is evidence that it was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," and "a thorough and transparent investigation will be necessary."
US President Donald Trump, at a press conference held at the White House, expressed suspicion about the Ukrainian passenger plane shootdown theory, saying, "I have doubts," and suggested the possibility of an Iranian missile attack by adding, "Someone on the other side might have made a mistake." CNN reported, citing US officials, that after reviewing data captured by US intelligence satellites, the Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by two Russian-made SA-15 surface-to-air missiles.
On the 9th (local time), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared at a press conference in Ottawa, Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau stated at this event that a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by an Iranian missile and that there is evidence to support this claim. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
European airlines have also collectively canceled flights to Tehran following the missile shootdown theory. According to CNN, Austrian Airlines and Germany's Lufthansa canceled all flights to Tehran on that day. The Lufthansa flight heading from Frankfurt, Germany to Tehran returned to Frankfurt due to the cancellation of the Tehran route. Dutch KLM Airlines, Air France, and Italy's Alitalia also decided to avoid Iranian airspace in their operations.
Iran immediately reacted against the Western countries' shootdown claims. The Iranian government stated that the area around Tehran where the passenger plane fell is more than 500 km away from Kermanshah, where ballistic missiles were launched to attack US military bases in Iraq, and since the passenger plane crashed five hours after the missile launch, there is no possibility of missile shootdown. Mohammad Eslami, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, emphasized, "Mechanical failure is the cause of the accident," adding, "If it had been shot down, the passenger plane would have exploded in midair, but it caught fire first and then exploded upon hitting the ground."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is paying tribute by laying flowers at the memorial for the victims who died in the passenger plane accident at Boryspil Airport, Ukraine, on the 9th (local time). [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]
The conflict between Iran and the West is expected to peak over the black boxes. While Iran protests its innocence, it insists that it will never hand over the black boxes, which hold the key to the accident, to the US side. Ali Abedzadeh, Chairman of Iran's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said, "The missile shootdown theory is illogical," and "We will not hand over the black boxes to the aircraft manufacturer or Americans." Ali Rabiei, spokesperson for the Iranian government, also condemned, "All these reports are psychological warfare targeting Iran."
Instead of handing over the black boxes, Iran is persistently requesting the dispatch of investigators. According to CNN, Iranian authorities have requested investigators from Boeing, the manufacturer of the crashed passenger plane, as well as from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Abbas Mousavi, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated via the social network Telegram, "Countries that have lost their citizens are welcome to participate in the accident investigation," adding, "We request all governments involved in this accident to provide any information they have to Iran's accident investigation committee." However, it is reported that the US NTSB rejected Iran's request, stating that it cannot send investigators to a dangerous country.
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