Iranian state TV, citing a military statement, has claimed the country 'unintentionally' shot down the Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard. The statement came Saturday morning, local time, and blamed 'human error' for shooting down the plane on Tuesday. The government also offered an apology to families after spending days insisting that they played no role in the downing of the plane. Tehran even criticized Western governments, including the US and Canada, who said they had intelligence proving that their military was involved. The missile attack forced airlines to avoid Iranian airspace. The jetliner (right), a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces (left: an object believed to be the plane at the moment of explosion).
Iran ADMITS shooting down Ukrainian jetliner, saying gunner 'mistook plane for a CRUISE MISSILE and had ten seconds to make a decision when his radio failed'
