TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran says its forces accidentally shot down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 aboard.
The government had repeatedly denied Western accusations and mounting evidence that it was responsible for the crash. The plane was hit hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of its top general.
A military statement says the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned toward a “sensitive military center” of the Revolutionary Guard. The acknowledgement is an embarrassment for the armed forces and was likely to anger the Iranian public.
