Iran’s air defense system mistook the Ukrainian plane for a cruise missile, Amir Ali Hajizade, commander of the military space forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said at a press conference.

He emphasized that the IRGC is fully responsible for what happened and is ready to submit to any decision of the authorities..

Ukraine Airlines International Boeing 737, flying from Tehran to Kiev, was shot down early on January 8. 176 people died: 167 passengers from Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Canada, Ukraine, the UK and Sweden and nine crew members (all of them are Ukrainians).

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the incident " He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, instructed to take measures to pay compensation and promised that the investigation would continue, and the perpetrators would be punished..