(Bloomberg) -- Iran’s accidental downing of a Ukrainian jetliner it said it had mistaken for a cruise missile is drawing calls for its full cooperation in a probe and strong reactions from countries whose citizens were among the 176 killed.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has expressed condolences, and President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic “deeply regrets the disastrous mistake” and vowed compensation for the families of victims.
Almost half those killed on board Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 were Iranians, while many of the other passengers were of Iranian ancestry and citizens of countries including Canada, Sweden and the U.K., a reflection of the thousands of Iranians who leave each year to work and study in the West.
The three-year-old Boeing Co. 737-800 was shot down about two minutes after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday. The tragedy occurred hours after Iran started launching rockets against Iraqi bases where U.S. forces are stationed, in retaliation for the assassination of its general, Qassem Soleimani.
Here are some of the reactions:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote in a Facebook post Saturday that he expects a full and open investigation that brings those responsible to justice. He requested that 45 Ukrainian experts have full access to the investigation.
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “furious” as he called for accountability and justice for the at least 57 Canadian victims. “We will continue working with our partners around the world to ensure a complete and thorough investigation, and the Canadian government expects full cooperation from Iranian authorities,“ he said.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of the importance of reducing tensions in the Middle East, saying he’ll work closely with Canada, Ukraine and other international partners. Iran’s admission is “an important first step,” and “we can all see very clearly that further conflict will only lead to more loss and tragedy,” Johnson said in a statement. At least four Britons were killed.
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed relief that the people responsible are known, calling for a full investigation and “to talk about consequences.” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also asked Tehran to take action “so that something like this cannot happen again.” At least three German nationals were killed, the BBC said.
- Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called on Iran to cooperate fully in the investigation and to let all affected countries provide expertise so that it has full transparency, according to a statement. The crash killed at least 10 Swedish citizens, BBC said.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hopes a full-scale war in the broader Middle East would be avoided. Responding to a question about U.S.-Iranian tensions after Soleimani’s assassination and the downing of the Ukrainian passenger jet, he added that “we would like to avoid major military actions. If this happens, it will be a catastrophe not only for the Middle East region but for the whole world.”
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