Iran on Saturday said it unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian airliner that crashed this week killing 176 people, calling it an “unforgivable mistake”. “The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted. The disaster came as tensions soared in the region after the Soleimani killing, and fears grew of an all-out war between the United States and Iran. “Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted. Many airlines from around the world cancelled flights to Iran in the wake of the crash, or rerouted flights away from Iranian airspace.

Source: Punch January 11, 2020 05:26 UTC