UK Edition
Boris Johnson has said that Iran admitting it had accidentally shot down an Ukrainian airliner was "an important first step" but said Tehran must now cooperate with international investigators.
“Iran’s admission that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by mistake by its own armed forces is an important first step," the prime minister said.
“We now need a comprehensive, transparent and independent international investigation and the repatriation of those who died. The UK will work closely with Canada, Ukraine and our other international partners affected by this accident to ensure this happens.
“This tragic accident only reinforces the importance of de-escalating tensions in the region. We can all see very clearly that further conflict will only lead to more loss and tragedy. It is vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward.”
The Queen also sent a message of condolence to the governor-general of Canada, saying she and Prince Phillip were "deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life".
Iran’s supreme leader claimed he was only told on Friday that his forces shot down the airliner and therefore was not responsible for days of false denials that Iran was not involved in the disaster.
The Iranian military admitted it “unintentionally” destroyed the airliner, killing all 176 people aboard, and said air defence operators mistook the civilian aircraft for an incoming American cruise missile.
The abrupt U-turn early on Saturday came after several days of official denials of responsibility by the Iranian state and prompted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to release a statement insisting he was not involved in misleading the world.
“As soon as the supreme leader was informed of the catastrophic mistake” he ordered the truth to “be made known to the people explicitly and honestly,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
In an official statement on his website, he ordered the military to address “shortcomings” and expressed "sincere condolences” to families of the victim. The move appeared to be designed to shield the supreme leader from boiling public anger in Iran over the tragedy.
A military statement said the plane was mistaken for a "hostile target" after it turned toward a "sensitive military centre" of the Revolutionary Guard. The military was at its "highest level of readiness," it said, amid the attacks on the US.
"In such a condition, because of human error and in a unintentional way, the flight was hit," the statement said. It apologised for the disaster and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent such "mistakes" in the future.
It also said those responsible for the strike on the plane would be prosecuted. A senior Revolutionary Guard commander appeared on state television on Saturday to take responsibility and express remorse.
"When I learned about this error I wished to die. I accept all responsibilities for this," General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said. He said his forces had been braced for US retaliation to an Iranian missile barrage fired earlier when they made the mistake.
He said a single missile operator made the decision to fire. "He had 10 seconds to decide. He could have decided to strike or not to strike and under such circumstances he took the wrong decision."
He also said the missile had exploded alongside the plane, meaning that it stayed in the air for some time after the explosion and turned sharply before crashing to the ground.
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh claimed that the civil aviation authorities had been denying the real cause of the downing of the plane "because they did not know it".
Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, tweeted: "Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences."
Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said in a tweet that the accident happened during a "crisis caused by US adventurism".
"A sad day. Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations."
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, demanded that Iran punish those responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, pay compensation and apologise. "We expect Iran... to bring the guilty to the courts," he said.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, said he expected "full cooperation" from Iran as the investigation continued. At least 63 Canadian citizens were killed in the disaster.
"I am, of course, outraged and furious that families across this country are grieving the loss of their loved ones, that the Iranian Canadian community is suffering so greatly, that all Canadians are shocked and appalled at the senseless loss of life," he said.
"Yes, I'm furious that there are Canadian families that have lost their parents, their children, their spouses and it's a huge tragedy for the entire country and not just for the Iranian community."
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed six minutes after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport early on Wednesday morning.
It came hours after Iran launched a missile strike against US forces in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. The crash prompted speculation that the aircraft was a casualty of crossfire.
The United States, Canada, and Britain had said on Thursday that they had intelligence which proved that the plane had been shot down, but Iran denied this and accused Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, of "politicising" the tragedy.
There had been accusations by foreign media and officials that Iran had tampered with the crash site. US media had speculated that Iran may have mistaken the plane for a missile or warplane belonging to the Americans.
The plane, a Boeing 737, was carrying 176 passengers, including 82 Iranians, at least 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.
"This is the right step for the Iranian government to admit responsibility, and it gives people a step toward closure with this admission," said Payman Parseyan, an Iranian-Canadian who lost a number of friends in the crash.
"I think the investigation would have disclosed it whether they admitted it or not. This will give them an opportunity to save face."
Bahram Parsaie, an Iranian MP from the city of Shiraz, said: "All top officials involved in this disaster must be sacked otherwise I will offer my resignation tomorrow."
The chairman of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee said on Saturday morning that Iran should "learn lessons" from the disaster.
"If decryption of the black boxes and the work of the investigation do not prove that the Iranian army did this intentionally, and there are no logical reasons for this, the incident must be closed," Konstantin Kosachev said.
"Hoping that lessons will be learned and action taken by all parties."