This morning, Iran’s military accepted that it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet, blaming it on human error. The flight had 176 passengers on board when it crashed on Wednesday, January 8, soon after taking off from an airport in Tehran.

Al Jazeera

This happened the same day that Iranian missiles struck American bases in Iraq, which is why the military is blaming the plane’s sharp, unexpected turn toward a sensitive military base for the error. 

The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. 

-President Hassan Rouhani on Twitter

The president offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said that investigation is underway to find the person responsible who will face legal consequences.