Canada has received information from multiple sources indicating that Iran shot down the plane that crashed outside Tehran on Wednesday, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
American sources say the same thing – and US President Donald Trump says he has a feeling that "something very terrible happened.".
”"We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence. The evidence suggests that the plane was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile," Trudeau said at a press conference, but stressed that it was too early to draw conclusions and make accusations.
”This may well have been unintentional.”
The New York Times has published a video clip that, according to the newspaper, shows a robot hitting the plane, just minutes after it took off from Tehran airport. A streak of light shoots across the night sky and hits the plane, which appears to remain in the air for at least a moment. A loud roar reaches the filmmaker a few seconds later.
Justin Trudeau reiterates his demand to participate in the investigation into what caused the plane crash. The Canadian government will continue to demand answers so that someone can be held accountable and so that relatives can move forward, the prime minister says.
63 of the 176 passengers who died were from Canada.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also says that there is various evidence that the Ukrainian plane was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile.
Trudeau and Johnson thereby confirming the existence of information that had begun to leak into a number of American media outlets.
Newsweek magazine first reported that Iran may have shot down the plane by mistake, citing two U.S. officials and an Iraqi source. The sources said the plane was likely shot down by an air defense system that may have been on high alert following Iran's missile attacks on military bases in Iraq just hours before the crash.
Several American and international media outlets then reported similar information from American sources, after which US President Donald Trump made cryptic comments at a press conference at the White House.
”"I have my suspicions. It's a tragic event. But someone may have made a mistake on the other side when it flew," Trump said.
”Some people say it might have been a mechanical failure but I don’t think that’s the case.”
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds that it wants Canada to share the information. It also invites aircraft manufacturer Boeing to participate in the investigation of the crash.
The Iranian side rejects the information and the head of the country's civil aviation, Ali Abedzadeh, calls them "illogical rumors", according to the semi-state Iranian news agency Isna.
”"Scientifically, it is impossible that a rocket hit the Ukrainian plane, these are illogical rumors," he says.
Flight PS752 was flown by Ukraine International Airlines and was en route from Tehran International Airport to Kiev when it crashed. All 176 people on board were killed, including at least ten Swedes and eleven Ukrainians.
Iran has promised Kiev information about the incident and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the crash in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rohani on Thursday.
”"Hassan Rohani stressed that Iran will provide the Ukrainian expert group with prompt access to all necessary information," a statement from Zelensky's office said, according to Reuters news agency.
Iran has the primary responsibility for the investigation into the crash of the US-made Boeing plane. The fact that the crash occurred in Iran complicates the investigation, as has already been shown. After the plane's black boxes were found, the head of Iran's aviation authority said he would not allow manufacturer Boeing to examine them.
In Ukraine, no official conclusions have yet been drawn. According to the AFP news agency, Oleksej Danylov, secretary of the National Security Council, talks about seven different theories. Among them are terrorist acts, that the plane was shot down by Iranian air defenses or a technical failure.
Ukraine has also asked the UN for "unconditional" support in the investigation, AFP reported on Thursday evening.
In addition, Sweden and Ukraine are to cooperate in the investigation into the cause of the crash – and Iran has promised Kiev information about the incident.
Since Swedish and Ukrainian citizens were killed, these countries have the right to appoint representatives to the investigation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also spoken with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. The conversation included an agreement to actively cooperate in the investigation into the cause of the crash.
”"The President and Prime Minister agreed that Ukraine and Sweden would continue cooperation at various levels during the course of the investigation to contribute to a thorough and transparent investigation," Zelenskyy's office writes.
A preliminary Iranian observation has determined that the plane was on fire before the crash, a conclusion based on witness accounts from people on the ground and in another aircraft that was in the air. A video clip that reportedly shows the burning plane plummeting to the ground has also been published by several international media outlets.
According to Iran, the crew did not make any distress calls. The plane also reportedly turned back towards Tehran airport after a "problem".
Source: TT
