“I Wanted to Die Rather Than See This”: Iranian General Takes Responsibility for Downing Ukraine International Airlines Plane

All those responsible for the air crash take responsibility and will accept any decision by the authorities.

General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the aerospace forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (an elite Iranian military unit), has taken responsibility for the crash of the Ukrainian Ukraine International Airlines plane in Tehran. This is reported by the Iranian agency IRNA.

Amir-Ali Hajizadeh
General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

When I was convinced that it had happened, I wanted to die rather than see it. We have sacrificed our lives all our lives, but today we are exchanging our honor with Almighty God, and in these difficult circumstances we decided to explain everything. The investigation of the incident is being completed by the higher headquarters and the judicial authorities, and I would like to start by saying that we are already thinner than a hair. We take full responsibility and will accept any decision by the authorities.

Hajizadeh said that, due to the tense situation with the US, all offensive and defensive units were at 100 percent combat readiness. On the night the plane crashed, the readiness level was on the brink of war. That night, the integrated air defense network passed the highest alert level to all systems. All systems were at the highest level of readiness.

The system detected a flying object, and missiles were on standby. The Ukrainian plane was mistaken for a cruise missile. The operator controlling the missile launch was supposed to contact management to clarify actions. However, his communication system failed. The Iranian general said that “in such a situation he had a chance to make a decision within 5 seconds, and he struck the plane”.

The Civil Aviation Authority initially defended the issue, because it acted on the basis of its own knowledge. They did not know about this incident. According to Hajizadeh, when he was informed of what had happened, he immediately connected the two incidents: the missile launch and the downing of the plane. After his arrival in Tehran, a delegation to investigate the incident had already been formed.

Amir-Ali Hajizadeh
General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

It took several days to obtain information about the incident. Not in order to avoid telling or hiding the story. By Friday morning all the information had been collected. A senior official, in a statement for civil aviation, reported that the plane had been shot down by a missile. They are not to blame, we are. This is our sin. We must be held accountable.

On January 8, the Ukraine International Airlines plane took off from Tehran airport and soon crashed. There were 176 people on board, including passengers and crew. Among them were 11 Ukrainians: 2 passengers and 9 crew members. The remaining passengers were citizens of Iran (82), Canada (63), Sweden (10), Afghanistan (4), Germany (3) and the United Kingdom (3). No one survived. 

Today, January 11, in the morning, Iran admitted its guilt in the crash of the Ukraine International Airlines plane. It was mistaken for a “hostile target”. Zelensky said that our side will insist on full admission of guilt, as well as holding those responsible accountable and paying compensation. Also, Ukraine International Airlines president Yevhen Dykhne and vice president for flight operations Ihor Sosnovskyi held a press conference today:  

Also today, January 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people about the air crash of the Ukraine International Airlines plane in Tehran, Iran. He said he had held a phone conversation with the President of Iran, and that the bodies of the Ukrainians who died would be returned home in the near future.