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| Ukraine requests intelligence on crashed airliner as Iran denies missile attack | Ukraine requests intelligence on crashed airliner as Iran denies missile attack |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| MOSCOW — Ukraine’s leader pleaded Friday for Western leaders to share with him intelligence that they said suggested Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was brought down by an Iranian missile, possibly fired by mistake. | MOSCOW — Ukraine’s leader pleaded Friday for Western leaders to share with him intelligence that they said suggested Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was brought down by an Iranian missile, possibly fired by mistake. |
| Iran, meanwhile, denied the assertions that the Boeing 737, carrying 176 people from Tehran to Kyiv, was shot down early Wednesday shortly after departing from Tehran. | Iran, meanwhile, denied the assertions that the Boeing 737, carrying 176 people from Tehran to Kyiv, was shot down early Wednesday shortly after departing from Tehran. |
| Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, told a televised news conference he was “certain that no missiles hit the aircraft.” | |
| The air disaster unfolded just hours after Iran fired more than a dozen short-range ballistic missiles at military bases hosting American troops in Iraq — retaliation for a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad last week. | |
| Soleimani’s killing sent regional tensions soaring, and Iranian officials vowed to avenge his death. They portrayed the missile attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, which caused no casualties, as a show of strength. But now Iran’s government is facing tough questions about whether its forces, anticipating a U.S. response, shot down a civilian airliner carrying more than 80 Iranian passengers. | |
| Suspected shoot-down of passenger jet near Tehran mirrors 1988 Iran Air tragedy | Suspected shoot-down of passenger jet near Tehran mirrors 1988 Iran Air tragedy |
| Ukraine has taken an active role in investigating the crash of the jet, which was carrying 11 Ukrainians, including the crew. A team of 45 experts and search-and-rescue personnel from Ukraine, including specialists who helped investigate the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukrainian territory, arrived in Tehran early Thursday to participate in the probe. | |
| President Volodymyr Zelensky had phone conversations Thursday with heads of government from Canada, Britain, Sweden and Iran — countries that each had citizens among the passengers. While Ukraine’s readouts of those calls said Zelensky intended to keep the leaders abreast of Ukraine’s findings and encouraged their countries to participate in the investigation, he has now had to publicly ask to be briefed in return. | |
| “Given the recent statements by the heads of state in the media, we call on all international partners, especially the governments of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, to provide data and evidence relating to the disaster to the commission investigating the causes,” Zelensky said in a statement on Facebook. | |
| The Ukrainian leader is expected to speak with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, and Zelensky spokeswoman Iuliia Mendel wrote on Twitter that Zelensky and Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko met with U.S. officials and “received important data that will be studied” by Ukraine’s specialists. | |
| In Washington, U.S. officials expressed “high confidence” that the Boeing 737-800 was targeted by an SA-15 surface-to-air missile, part of a Russian-made air defense system also known as a Tor system, as Iranian forces were on high alert. President Trump said the downing of the aircraft was probably a “mistake.” | In Washington, U.S. officials expressed “high confidence” that the Boeing 737-800 was targeted by an SA-15 surface-to-air missile, part of a Russian-made air defense system also known as a Tor system, as Iranian forces were on high alert. President Trump said the downing of the aircraft was probably a “mistake.” |
| Then in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said intelligence analyses indicated that a surface-to-air missile hit the plane in what could have been an “unintentional” act. In London, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cited a “body of information that the flight was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.” | Then in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said intelligence analyses indicated that a surface-to-air missile hit the plane in what could have been an “unintentional” act. In London, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cited a “body of information that the flight was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.” |
| 176 people died in the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran. Here are some of their stories. | 176 people died in the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran. Here are some of their stories. |
| A Ukrainian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said that Zelensky made the public request for evidence about the crash because the United States had not yet shared with Ukraine its intelligence about the missile Thursday. | |
| “The theory that the plane was hit by a missile is not ruled out, but it is not confirmed so far,” Zelensky added. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, wrote on Facebook that his team was considering a variety of possible causes but wanted to search for possible debris from a Tor air-defense missile, after seeing online reports about the discovery of possible fragments of one near the crash site. | |
| The Washington Post obtained a video that allegedly shows the moment the airliner was struck in midair. The video, first published by the New York Times, purportedly shows a missile intercepting the aircraft near the city of Parand, followed by a loud boom. | |
| Abedzadeh said that video “cannot be confirmed.” If the United States and other Western countries “have any technical information [about the crash], they can provide us with it. American officials must substantiate their claims with technical evidence,” he said. | Abedzadeh said that video “cannot be confirmed.” If the United States and other Western countries “have any technical information [about the crash], they can provide us with it. American officials must substantiate their claims with technical evidence,” he said. |
| House approves measure limiting Trump’s authority to take further military action against Iran | House approves measure limiting Trump’s authority to take further military action against Iran |
| Abedzadeh previously said that the pilot gave no distress call before the crash. He said the aircraft was on fire for over a minute and turned around “to come back to the airport.” | |
| “There could be different reasons why the pilot didn’t contact the control tower,” Abedzadeh said. “It could have been because his first priority was to save the plane.” | “There could be different reasons why the pilot didn’t contact the control tower,” Abedzadeh said. “It could have been because his first priority was to save the plane.” |
| Several minutes after takeoff, Abedzadeh said, the pilot contacted the Mehrabad Airport, which also services Tehran, and asked for permission to climb to 26,000 feet. Shortly after that, the plane caught fire, he said. | Several minutes after takeoff, Abedzadeh said, the pilot contacted the Mehrabad Airport, which also services Tehran, and asked for permission to climb to 26,000 feet. Shortly after that, the plane caught fire, he said. |
| Earlier Friday, the Iranian government said in a statement that it was inviting Boeing to send a representative to help examine the “black box” containing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Iranian state television aired a video of an investigator opening and showing the contents of the box. | Earlier Friday, the Iranian government said in a statement that it was inviting Boeing to send a representative to help examine the “black box” containing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Iranian state television aired a video of an investigator opening and showing the contents of the box. |
| Cunningham reported from Istanbul. David Stern in Kyiv and Shane Harris in Washington contributed to this report. | |
| Iranian missile hit Ukrainian plane in possible unintentional firing, Western officials say | Iranian missile hit Ukrainian plane in possible unintentional firing, Western officials say |
| ‘We did not intend to kill,’ Iranian commander says of missile strike on U.S. targets | ‘We did not intend to kill,’ Iranian commander says of missile strike on U.S. targets |
| Internal Boeing documents show employees discussing efforts to manipulate regulators scrutinizing the 737 Max | Internal Boeing documents show employees discussing efforts to manipulate regulators scrutinizing the 737 Max |
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