An Iranian missile took down the Ukrainian passenger jet, claim US officials
The news: The Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after takeoff from Iran’s capital on Wednesday was brought down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, according to US and Canadian intelligence officials. The crash killed all 176 people on board.
The evidence: US officials said they had detected an anti-aircraft missile battery locking onto the plane, followed by an infrared heat signal from two missiles being launched, and then an explosion on the plane. Canada, where 63 of the victims came from, said it had intelligence from multiple sources to support the US’s findings. A video that the New York Times says it has verified appears to be consistent with this version of events. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said it was most likely an accident.
The timing: The plane crashed when Iran’s military was doubtless on high alert for a possible retaliation by the US, just hours after Iran fired missiles at American targets in the US. The Iranian government has strongly denied the claims, and accused the US of spreading misinformation.
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