Ahmet Gürhan Kartal
11 January 2020•Update: 12 January 2020
LONDON
Iran’s admission that it shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet by mistake last week is “an important step”, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday.
“This will be an incredibly difficult time for all those families who lost loved ones in such tragic circumstances,” Johnson said in a statement, adding his government would do anything to support the families of four British victims of the incident and “to ensure they get the answers and closure they deserve.”
He said: “We now need a comprehensive, transparent and independent international investigation and the repatriation of those who died.”
Johnson said the U.K. will work closely with Canada, Ukraine and “our other international partners affected by this accident to ensure this happens.”
The British premier added that the “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,” he added.
Iran admits accident
Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said Saturday that a Ukrainian aircraft was “accidentally” hit by an Iranian missile early this week that killed 176 people on board.
In a written statement, the top military authority said as a result of a "human error", the plane was accidentally shot down by the air defense system while it was passing over a "sensitive military point".
Iran was on the alert to possible U.S. threats to attack many points in Iran after launching a dozen ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. troops in Iraq, it noted.
Under these sensitive and crisis conditions, the plane approached a delicate military center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and its height and stance seemed to be hostile, it said.
The plane in question was unintentionally targeted under these conditions, it added.
Evidence
Canada and the U.K. have said they had evidence that the Ukrainian plane was shot down by a missile fired by Iran last Wednesday.
Canadian and British prime ministers made separate statement regarding the matter and they have urged transparent and fast investigation into the disaster.
A video later surfaced showed what appears to be an explosion mid-air at a location, which was confirmed as the location of the crash by independent investigative teams.
Ukraine International Airlines had received “no warning” from Tehran airport about a possible threat to its safety before it took off, according to a statement.
Anti-war protest
Thousands of protesters on Saturday marched to Downing Street from central Trafalgar Square.
The protesters chanted anti-war slogans, including “No War on Iran, No War on Iraq, Troops Out of Iraq”.
“The situation remains critical. We need to mount maximum pressure on our Government and on the Trump administration to prevent further escalation,” the organizers, Stop the War Coalition said in a statement.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn also joined the rally.
“We cannot go on being bystanders of conflict after conflict with tens of thousands dying and millions more living out their lives as refugees, and with terrorism as a result,” he said, addressing the crowd.
