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| Live Updates: Iran Says Downing of Plane Was ‘Disastrous Mistake’ | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| After maintaining for days that there was no evidence that one of its missiles had struck a Boeing 737-800 minutes after it took off from Tehran on Wednesday with 176 people on board, Iran admitted early on Saturday that it had accidentally shot down the passenger jet. | After maintaining for days that there was no evidence that one of its missiles had struck a Boeing 737-800 minutes after it took off from Tehran on Wednesday with 176 people on board, Iran admitted early on Saturday that it had accidentally shot down the passenger jet. |
| The Iranian military blamed human error. In a statement, it said the plane had taken a sharp, unexpected turn that brought it near a sensitive military base. | The Iranian military blamed human error. In a statement, it said the plane had taken a sharp, unexpected turn that brought it near a sensitive military base. |
| In post on Twitter, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohamad Javad Zarif, apologized but appeared to blame American “adventurism” for the tragedy, writing: “Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.” | In post on Twitter, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohamad Javad Zarif, apologized but appeared to blame American “adventurism” for the tragedy, writing: “Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.” |
| President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter that Iran “deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.” | President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter that Iran “deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.” |
| International pressure had been building on Iran to take responsibility. American and allied officials had said that all intelligence assessments indicated that surface-to-air missiles fired by Iranian military forces had shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. | International pressure had been building on Iran to take responsibility. American and allied officials had said that all intelligence assessments indicated that surface-to-air missiles fired by Iranian military forces had shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. |
| The crash occurred days after the United States launched a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, and an Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as they left the airport in Baghdad. | The crash occurred days after the United States launched a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, and an Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as they left the airport in Baghdad. |
| The killings sent shock waves through the Middle East and led to calls for revenge in Iran, as well as a vote by Iraq’s Parliament to oust American troops from that country. Iran responded by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at two American bases in Iraq. But the missiles caused little damage and no American or Iraqi casualties, President Trump and Iraqi officials said. | The killings sent shock waves through the Middle East and led to calls for revenge in Iran, as well as a vote by Iraq’s Parliament to oust American troops from that country. Iran responded by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at two American bases in Iraq. But the missiles caused little damage and no American or Iraqi casualties, President Trump and Iraqi officials said. |
| After months of violent protests in Iran against corruption, misrule and rising fuel prices, the American killing of General Suleimani, the shadowy 62-year-old spymaster at the head of the country’s security machinery, had united the country against the United States. | After months of violent protests in Iran against corruption, misrule and rising fuel prices, the American killing of General Suleimani, the shadowy 62-year-old spymaster at the head of the country’s security machinery, had united the country against the United States. |
| But even before Iran accepted responsibility for downing the Ukrainian airliner, the crash had been threatening to end that period of national solidarity as people debated whether the government should be blamed. | But even before Iran accepted responsibility for downing the Ukrainian airliner, the crash had been threatening to end that period of national solidarity as people debated whether the government should be blamed. |
| Most of those on the plane were Iranians, including many young people headed for graduate study in Canada. | Most of those on the plane were Iranians, including many young people headed for graduate study in Canada. |
| “Our lives have no value,” Yalda, a 45-year-old graphic artist in Tehran who asked not to be fully identified, said in an interview. “They shot down the plane and not only do they not apologize but they are lying about it.” | “Our lives have no value,” Yalda, a 45-year-old graphic artist in Tehran who asked not to be fully identified, said in an interview. “They shot down the plane and not only do they not apologize but they are lying about it.” |
| Farnaz Fassihi, Anton Troianovski and Andrew Kramer contributed reporting. | Farnaz Fassihi, Anton Troianovski and Andrew Kramer contributed reporting. |