Iran Admits It 'Unintentionally' Shot Down Ukrainian Passenger Jet With Short Range Missile

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard has admitted it "unintentionally" shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet on Wednesday, killing all 176 on board, using a short-range missile.

Senior figures said America was partly responsible for the crash, which happened hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top military general in an American airstrike.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed "deep sympathy" to the victims, and said the armed forces must "pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident".

The commander of the Revolutionary Guard's air force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, appeared on state TV to apologise to the nation and take full responsibility for the downing.

He said the Ukrainian plane was "misidentified as a cruise missile" by an air defence operator but admitted he had told his superiors about the "unintentional... attack" on Wednesday, adding that it had been downed using a "short-range missile".

"I wish I could die and not witness such an accident," Mr Hajizadeh said.

Mr Hajizadeh partly blamed the US, saying it had spiked tensions, and that Iran had been ready for "all-out war" at the moment the missile was fired at the Ukrainian jet.

The Iranian Fars newsagency said Ayatollah Khamenei was informed about the downing on Friday and ordered that the information should be publicly announced.

He said: "Having been informed about... the crash of the Ukrainian passenger plane and confirmation of the human error... the tragedy of deaths of passengers in this sad incident became a lot more severe for me.