UK says Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iranian missile

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Britain joined Canada late Thursday in saying there is a body of evidence suggesting that an Iranian surface-to-air missile had shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet yesterday as it was leaving Tehran for the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement that four British citizens were killed in the crash.

"There is now a body of information that the flight was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” Johnson said.

“This may well have been unintentional. We are working closely with Canada and our international partners, and there now needs to be a full, transparent investigation,” he added.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference earlier in the day that Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 was likely downed in error by an Iranian missile.

The crash killed all 176 people on board, with Iranians, Canadians, Ukrainians, Swedes, Afghans and Germans also among the victims.

Trudeau confirmed that intelligence from various sources led to that conclusion, but only a “full and credible investigation” could definitely confirm it.

“We have intelligence, including from our allies and own intelligence, that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” Trudeau said.

“Canadians want answers. That means transparency, accountability and justice,” he said.

“We recognize that this may have been done (by) accident.

“I want answers.”

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said other theories on the cause of the crash have been put forward, including collision with a drone, an engine explosion or a terrorist act.

The Boeing 737-800 was just airborne from an airport in Tehran when it crashed.