Iran Says Reports that Missiles Downed Ukrainian Passenger Plane 'Big Lie'
A spokesman for the Iranian government said reports that missiles downed the Ukraine International Airlines flight that crashed near Tehran Wednesday are "a big lie," CNN reports, referring to the Iranian state-run media.
The spokesman, Ali Rabiei, accused the United States of spreading misinformation about the crash, in which all 176 people on board were killed.
"No one will assume responsibility for such a big lie once it is known that the claim was fraudulent," Rabiei said in a statement, according to Press TV.
"It is unfortunate that the psychological operation of the US government, and those supporting it knowingly and unknowingly, are adding insult to the injury of the bereaved families and victimizing them for certain goals by propagating such fallacies."
The Ukraine airliner that crashed in Iran, killing all 176 people on board, was most likely brought down accidentally by Iranian air defenses, US officials reportedly said on Thursday, a conclusion Iran dismissed as "impossible".
The Ukrainian International airliner bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, crashed minutes after takeoff from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.
The plane carried mostly Iranians and Iranian Canadians.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received intelligence from multiple sources indicating that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it was possible that this was unintentional.
"This reinforces the need for a thorough investigation," he said. "Canadians have questions and they deserve answers."
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had "suspicions" about what happened to the plane.
An investigation is continuing into what caused the crash.
By Ana Dumbadze
Related Story: American Media: Iran Accidentally Shot Down Ukraine Plane