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| Live Updates: Ukraine Gets ‘Important Data’ From U.S. on Iran Plane Crash | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday morning Washington time after he requested that the United States and other Western countries release the evidence that a Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after takeoff in Iran had been shot down. | |
| Mr. Zelensky said in a post on Facebook early Friday that the possibility that a missile had downed the Ukraine International Airlines plane on Wednesday, killing all 176 aboard, “cannot be ruled out but is not currently confirmed.” | |
| Hours later, Mr. Zelensky’s spokeswoman said the president had met with U.S. Embassy officials in Kyiv and received “important data that will be studied by our specialists” and later in the day he spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | |
| American and allied officials said on Thursday that they had intelligence that surface-to-air missiles fired by Iranian military forces shot down the Boeing 737 minutes after it took off from Tehran, headed for Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. | American and allied officials said on Thursday that they had intelligence that surface-to-air missiles fired by Iranian military forces shot down the Boeing 737 minutes after it took off from Tehran, headed for Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. |
| The jet crashed hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at American targets in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the leader of a powerful branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and was bracing for a possible American response. | The jet crashed hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at American targets in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the leader of a powerful branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and was bracing for a possible American response. |
| Mr. Zelensky has pledged to get to the bottom of what happened, cutting short a trip to Oman immediately after the crash and dispatching a team of 45 Ukrainian experts to Tehran. | Mr. Zelensky has pledged to get to the bottom of what happened, cutting short a trip to Oman immediately after the crash and dispatching a team of 45 Ukrainian experts to Tehran. |
| On Friday, Mr. Zelensky made it clear that Western governments, allies in his country’s conflict with Russia, had not initially shared the evidence that led them to believe that the Ukrainian jet had been shot down by Iran. | On Friday, Mr. Zelensky made it clear that Western governments, allies in his country’s conflict with Russia, had not initially shared the evidence that led them to believe that the Ukrainian jet had been shot down by Iran. |
| “The version that a missile hit the airplane cannot be ruled out, but currently cannot be confirmed,” Mr. Zelensky wrote in the post, before his call with Mr. Pompeo. | |
| Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain both said Iran had probably shot down the plane by accident. President Trump said he suspected that the downing of the plane had been the result of “a mistake on the other side.” | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain both said Iran had probably shot down the plane by accident. President Trump said he suspected that the downing of the plane had been the result of “a mistake on the other side.” |
| An American official told The New York Times that the United States had a high level of confidence that a Russian-made Iranian air defense system had fired two surface-to-air missiles at the plane. | An American official told The New York Times that the United States had a high level of confidence that a Russian-made Iranian air defense system had fired two surface-to-air missiles at the plane. |
| The crash of the Ukrainian jet has presented Mr. Zelensky, a 41-year-old comedian who swept to a stunning victory in the presidential election last spring, with the most urgent crisis of his short tenure. | The crash of the Ukrainian jet has presented Mr. Zelensky, a 41-year-old comedian who swept to a stunning victory in the presidential election last spring, with the most urgent crisis of his short tenure. |
| “Our goal is to ascertain the undeniable truth,” Mr. Zelensky said in his statement on Friday. “We believe this is the responsibility of the whole international community before the families of the dead and the memory of the victims of the catastrophe.” | “Our goal is to ascertain the undeniable truth,” Mr. Zelensky said in his statement on Friday. “We believe this is the responsibility of the whole international community before the families of the dead and the memory of the victims of the catastrophe.” |
| The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office issued a public request for help from Canada, seeking information from intelligence agencies about a possible missile strike. | The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office issued a public request for help from Canada, seeking information from intelligence agencies about a possible missile strike. |
| Iran has maintained that there was no evidence that the plane was struck by a missile and doubled down on that assertion on Friday, despite western officials pointing to intelligence suggesting the passenger jet was accidentally hit by a missile. | Iran has maintained that there was no evidence that the plane was struck by a missile and doubled down on that assertion on Friday, despite western officials pointing to intelligence suggesting the passenger jet was accidentally hit by a missile. |
| Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization chief, Ali Abedzadeh, speaking during a Friday news conference, urged caution and said that nothing could be determined until the data from the black boxes was analyzed and said statements made by other nations were politically motivated. | Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization chief, Ali Abedzadeh, speaking during a Friday news conference, urged caution and said that nothing could be determined until the data from the black boxes was analyzed and said statements made by other nations were politically motivated. |
| But, he added, what could be said was that the plane had not been hit by a missile and was likely on fire before it crashed. He also urged nations with intelligence on the crash, namely the United States and Canada, to share that information with Iran. | But, he added, what could be said was that the plane had not been hit by a missile and was likely on fire before it crashed. He also urged nations with intelligence on the crash, namely the United States and Canada, to share that information with Iran. |
| “We cannot just give you speculation,” Mr. Abedzadeh said in footage televised and translated on Iranian state television. “So far what I can tell you is that the plane has not been hit by a missile, and we have to look for the cause of the fire.” | “We cannot just give you speculation,” Mr. Abedzadeh said in footage televised and translated on Iranian state television. “So far what I can tell you is that the plane has not been hit by a missile, and we have to look for the cause of the fire.” |
| Hassan Rezaeifar, the head of the Iranian investigation team, said during the same news conference that it could take more than a month to process the data recovered from the flight recorders and that the investigation could take up to two years. He also noted that Ukraine, France, Canada, and Russia have all said they are willing to assist Iran with the data extraction, and Tehran will send the black box to one of these countries if it fails to retrieve the data. | Hassan Rezaeifar, the head of the Iranian investigation team, said during the same news conference that it could take more than a month to process the data recovered from the flight recorders and that the investigation could take up to two years. He also noted that Ukraine, France, Canada, and Russia have all said they are willing to assist Iran with the data extraction, and Tehran will send the black box to one of these countries if it fails to retrieve the data. |
| Normally, Iran has the capacity to download black box data, but Mr. Rezaeifar said that since the devices had been damaged, it would be difficult to extract information. | Normally, Iran has the capacity to download black box data, but Mr. Rezaeifar said that since the devices had been damaged, it would be difficult to extract information. |
| “We need special software and hardware which are available in our country, but if we fail to extract the data due to the damages of the black box, we will get help from other countries,” he said. | “We need special software and hardware which are available in our country, but if we fail to extract the data due to the damages of the black box, we will get help from other countries,” he said. |
| The black box will begin to be evaluated on Friday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported, “to assess and check whether it is possible to reconstruct and analyze the information inside the country.” State television aired footage that it said showed the two black boxes that were recovered from the crash site. | The black box will begin to be evaluated on Friday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported, “to assess and check whether it is possible to reconstruct and analyze the information inside the country.” State television aired footage that it said showed the two black boxes that were recovered from the crash site. |
| Footage verified by The New York Times appears to show a missile fired from Iranian territory hitting a plane near Tehran’s airport, the area where a Ukrainian jet crashed on Wednesday. | Footage verified by The New York Times appears to show a missile fired from Iranian territory hitting a plane near Tehran’s airport, the area where a Ukrainian jet crashed on Wednesday. |
| As investigators work to determine an official cause of the accident, the video offered new clues about the crash, which came hours after a violent confrontation between Iran and the United States. | As investigators work to determine an official cause of the accident, the video offered new clues about the crash, which came hours after a violent confrontation between Iran and the United States. |
| A small explosion occurred when what appears to be a missile hit the plane above Parand, a city near the airport, but the plane did not explode, the video showed. The jet continued flying for several minutes and turned back toward the airport, The Times has determined. | A small explosion occurred when what appears to be a missile hit the plane above Parand, a city near the airport, but the plane did not explode, the video showed. The jet continued flying for several minutes and turned back toward the airport, The Times has determined. |
| The plane, which by then had stopped transmitting its signal, flew toward the airport ablaze before it exploded and crashed quickly, other videos verified by The Times showed. | The plane, which by then had stopped transmitting its signal, flew toward the airport ablaze before it exploded and crashed quickly, other videos verified by The Times showed. |
| Visual and audio clues in the footage also matched flight path information and satellite imagery of the area near where the plane crashed. | Visual and audio clues in the footage also matched flight path information and satellite imagery of the area near where the plane crashed. |
| The aftermath of the plane crash in Iran has the potential to open a fresh rift between Ukraine and its most important Western allies. | The aftermath of the plane crash in Iran has the potential to open a fresh rift between Ukraine and its most important Western allies. |
| President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has already turned into an unwilling player in United States domestic politics as a result of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign seeking assistance in the 2020 presidential race. Now, he is stuck in the middle of an even more volatile American crisis: the conflict with Iran. | President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has already turned into an unwilling player in United States domestic politics as a result of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign seeking assistance in the 2020 presidential race. Now, he is stuck in the middle of an even more volatile American crisis: the conflict with Iran. |
| On the one hand, Mr. Zelensky needs Iranian cooperation to deliver the full-fledged investigation of the disaster that he has pledged to his public. On the other, Mr. Zelensky needs the data collected by Western intelligence — not to mention his continued reliance on Western support in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. | On the one hand, Mr. Zelensky needs Iranian cooperation to deliver the full-fledged investigation of the disaster that he has pledged to his public. On the other, Mr. Zelensky needs the data collected by Western intelligence — not to mention his continued reliance on Western support in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. |
| “He could end up in a situation of being caught between two fires,” said Oleksandr Danylyuk, Mr. Zelensky’s former national security adviser, who resigned in September. “It’s a very complicated situation.” | “He could end up in a situation of being caught between two fires,” said Oleksandr Danylyuk, Mr. Zelensky’s former national security adviser, who resigned in September. “It’s a very complicated situation.” |
| Mr. Zelensky was caught flat-footed on Thursday when American officials went public with intelligence findings about the crash, and it was clear that the United States and its Western allies had not briefed Kyiv. | Mr. Zelensky was caught flat-footed on Thursday when American officials went public with intelligence findings about the crash, and it was clear that the United States and its Western allies had not briefed Kyiv. |
| On Friday, American and Ukrainian officials raced to dispel any appearance of a rift. But Anatoliy Hrytsenko, a former Ukrainian defense minister, said that any recalcitrance from Western countries would create suspicions in Ukraine that they were using the tragedy as a cudgel in their conflict with Iran. | On Friday, American and Ukrainian officials raced to dispel any appearance of a rift. But Anatoliy Hrytsenko, a former Ukrainian defense minister, said that any recalcitrance from Western countries would create suspicions in Ukraine that they were using the tragedy as a cudgel in their conflict with Iran. |
| “Western leaders must give us these intelligence findings,” Mr. Hrytsenko said. “If we assume the worst and they don’t do this, then a big question mark arises: Is this really about determining the cause of a plane crash or is this now geopolitics?” | “Western leaders must give us these intelligence findings,” Mr. Hrytsenko said. “If we assume the worst and they don’t do this, then a big question mark arises: Is this really about determining the cause of a plane crash or is this now geopolitics?” |
| France’s aviation investigation authority said on Friday that it had been invited by Iran to take part in the investigation into the crash of an Ukrainian plane near Tehran this week. | France’s aviation investigation authority said on Friday that it had been invited by Iran to take part in the investigation into the crash of an Ukrainian plane near Tehran this week. |
| A spokesman for the authority, known by its French acronym B.E.A., or Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses, said France was getting involved because the jetliner’s engine had been designed by CFM, a joint venture between GE Aviation, an American company, and Safran Aircraft Engines, a French one. | A spokesman for the authority, known by its French acronym B.E.A., or Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses, said France was getting involved because the jetliner’s engine had been designed by CFM, a joint venture between GE Aviation, an American company, and Safran Aircraft Engines, a French one. |
| “No further assistance has been requested at this point in time,” the spokesman said, adding that Iranian aviation authorities were the lead investigator in the case. | “No further assistance has been requested at this point in time,” the spokesman said, adding that Iranian aviation authorities were the lead investigator in the case. |
| Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign minister, did not say on Friday whether the country had proof that the jetliner had been shot down by Iranian missiles, but said that France was “available” to help with the investigation. | Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign minister, did not say on Friday whether the country had proof that the jetliner had been shot down by Iranian missiles, but said that France was “available” to help with the investigation. |
| “Before the speculation, we must establish the truth in conditions of utmost transparency,” Mr. Le Drian told RTL, a French radio station. France, one of the signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal, is now trying to salvage it by acting as a go-between for Iran and the United States. | “Before the speculation, we must establish the truth in conditions of utmost transparency,” Mr. Le Drian told RTL, a French radio station. France, one of the signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal, is now trying to salvage it by acting as a go-between for Iran and the United States. |
| Anton Troianovski, Megan Specia, Aurelien Breeden, Melissa Eddy, Christiaan Triebert, Malachy Browne, Sarah Kerr and Ainara Tiefenthäler contributed reporting. | Anton Troianovski, Megan Specia, Aurelien Breeden, Melissa Eddy, Christiaan Triebert, Malachy Browne, Sarah Kerr and Ainara Tiefenthäler contributed reporting. |