Video shows missile striking jetliner in Tehran: report

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Video footage reviewed and verified by The New York Times on Thursday appears to show a missile striking a Ukraine-bound aircraft shortly before it crashed in Tehran, Iran.

The 19-second clip appears to show a missile flying toward the passenger plane before it slams into the aircraft in a bright white flash. The plane, however, does not explode, instead appearing to change course before it falls out of view.

A large boom can be heard shortly after, but it is not clear from the video what the source of the sound could be.

The Times said it reviewed and verified other videos that showed the plane flew back towards Tehran's international airport while on fire before it quickly crashed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier Thursday that the crash, in which all 176 people on board were killed, was likely caused by an Iranian missile.

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

The Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after takeoff. Its departure came just hours after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeting U.S. troops in Iraq.

Among the victims were Iranians, Canadians, Ukrainians, Swedes, Afghans, Germans and British citizens.