US President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was monitoring Iranian demonstrations closely, warning against any new "massacre" as protests broke out after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-pm-justin-trudeau-wants-full-investigation-into-plane-crash-273614">Tehran admitted to shooting down a passenger plane</a>.

Iran said earlier it unintentionally downed a Ukrainian jetliner outside Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. The firing came shortly after Iran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing American forces.

President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake."

At a student protest to pay tribute to the crash victims on Saturday, Iranian authorities briefly detained Britain's ambassador, in what the British government called a violation of international law. He was later released.

Trump told Iranians -- in tweets in both English and Farsi -- that he stands by them and is monitoring the demonstrations.

"To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you," he tweeted.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-supreme-leader-khameneis-twitter-account-temporarily-suspended-273641">Iran's supreme leader Khamenei's Twitter account temporarily suspended</a>

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To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1216114135529902081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching," he added, apparently referring to an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November.

"We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage," he said.

The new demonstrations follow an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November. Amnesty International has said it left more than 300 people dead.

Internet access was reportedly cut off in multiple Iranian provinces ahead of memorials planned a month after the protests.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has demanded that Iran provide "full clarity" on the downing of the plane. Ottawa says the dead included 57 Canadians.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also offered his condolences and ordered the armed forces to address "shortcomings" so that such a disaster does not happen again.

Tehran's acknowledgement came after officials in Iran denied for days Western claims that the Ukraine International Airlines plane had been struck by a missile in a catastrophic error.

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The Kiev-bound jet slammed into a field shortly after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday.

The crash came hours after Tehran launched missiles at bases hosting American forces in Iraq in response to the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike.

Fears grew of an all-out war between Iran and its arch-enemy the United States, but those concerns have subsided after Trump said Tehran appeared to be standing down after targeting the US bases.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/soleimani-was-probably-planning-to-attack-four-us-embassies-donald-trump-273535">Soleimani was 'probably' planning to attack four US embassies: Donald Trump</a>

Protesters 'dispersed'

On Saturday evening, police dispersed students who had converged on Amir Kabir University in Tehran to pay tribute to the victims, after some among the hundreds gathered shouted "destructive" slogans, Fars news agency said.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said UK envoy Rob Macaire had been detained.

"The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law," Raab said in a statement. The US called on Iran to apologize.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the country's conservatives, said the envoy had been "provoking radical acts" among students. He was released a few hours later and would be summoned again by Iranian officials on Sunday, it said.

State television reported that students shouted "anti-regime" chants, while Fars reported that posters of Soleimani had been torn down.

The aerospace commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards accepted full responsibility for Wednesday's accident.

But Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said the missile operator acted independently, targeting the 737 after mistaking it for a "cruise missile".

The operator failed to obtain approval from his superiors because of disruptions to a communications system, he said.

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The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1216120362230067202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"He had 10 seconds to decide. He could have decided to strike or not to strike and under such circumstances, he took the wrong decision."

Justice, compensation

Iran had been under mounting international pressure to allow a "credible" investigation after video emerged appearing to show the moment the airliner was hit.

In footage that the New York Times said it had verified, a fast-moving object is seen rising into the sky before a bright flash appears. Several seconds later, an explosion is heard.

Iran's military said it had been at the highest level of alert after American "threats" and that the plane had turned and come close to a "sensitive" military site before it was targeted due to "human error."

Rouhani said Iran had been on alert for possible US attacks after Soleimani's "martyrdom."

Rouhani added he had ordered "all relevant bodies to take all necessary actions (to ensure) compensation" to the families of those killed.

The majority of passengers on Flight PS752 were Iranians and Canadians, including dual nationals, while Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons and Swedes were also aboard.

Rouhani told his Ukrainian counterpart Saturday that "all the persons involved in this air disaster will be brought to justice," Ukraine's presidency said.

This is Iran's worst civil aviation disaster since 1988 when the US military said it shot down an Iran Air plane over the Gulf by mistake, killing all 290 people on board.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was monitoring Iranian demonstrations closely, warning against any new "massacre" as protests broke out after Tehran admitted to shooting down a passenger plane.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was monitoring Iranian demonstrations closely, warning against any new "massacre" as protests broke out after Tehran admitted to shooting down a passenger plane. Iran said earlier it unintentionally downed a Ukrainian jetliner outside Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. The firing came shortly after Iran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing American forces. President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake." At a student protest to pay tribute to the crash victims on Saturday, Iranian authorities briefly detained Britain's ambassador, in what the British government called a violation of international law. He was later released. Trump told Iranians -- in tweets in both English and Farsi -- that he stands by them and is monitoring the demonstrations. "To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you," he tweeted. Also read: Iran's supreme leader Khamenei's Twitter account temporarily suspended To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2020 × "There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching," he added, apparently referring to an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November. "We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage," he said. The new demonstrations follow an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November. Amnesty International has said it left more than 300 people dead. Internet access was reportedly cut off in multiple Iranian provinces ahead of memorials planned a month after the protests. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has demanded that Iran provide "full clarity" on the downing of the plane. Ottawa says the dead included 57 Canadians. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also offered his condolences and ordered the armed forces to address "shortcomings" so that such a disaster does not happen again. Tehran's acknowledgement came after officials in Iran denied for days Western claims that the Ukraine International Airlines plane had been struck by a missile in a catastrophic error. × The Kiev-bound jet slammed into a field shortly after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday. The crash came hours after Tehran launched missiles at bases hosting American forces in Iraq in response to the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike. Fears grew of an all-out war between Iran and its arch-enemy the United States, but those concerns have subsided after Trump said Tehran appeared to be standing down after targeting the US bases. Also read: Soleimani was 'probably' planning to attack four US embassies: Donald Trump Protesters 'dispersed' On Saturday evening, police dispersed students who had converged on Amir Kabir University in Tehran to pay tribute to the victims, after some among the hundreds gathered shouted "destructive" slogans, Fars news agency said. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said UK envoy Rob Macaire had been detained. "The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law," Raab said in a statement. The US called on Iran to apologize. Iran's Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the country's conservatives, said the envoy had been "provoking radical acts" among students. He was released a few hours later and would be summoned again by Iranian officials on Sunday, it said. State television reported that students shouted "anti-regime" chants, while Fars reported that posters of Soleimani had been torn down. The aerospace commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards accepted full responsibility for Wednesday's accident. But Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said the missile operator acted independently, targeting the 737 after mistaking it for a "cruise missile". The operator failed to obtain approval from his superiors because of disruptions to a communications system, he said. The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2020 × "He had 10 seconds to decide. He could have decided to strike or not to strike and under such circumstances, he took the wrong decision." Justice, compensation Iran had been under mounting international pressure to allow a "credible" investigation after video emerged appearing to show the moment the airliner was hit. In footage that the New York Times said it had verified, a fast-moving object is seen rising into the sky before a bright flash appears. Several seconds later, an explosion is heard. Iran's military said it had been at the highest level of alert after American "threats" and that the plane had turned and come close to a "sensitive" military site before it was targeted due to "human error." Rouhani said Iran had been on alert for possible US attacks after Soleimani's "martyrdom." Rouhani added he had ordered "all relevant bodies to take all necessary actions (to ensure) compensation" to the families of those killed. The majority of passengers on Flight PS752 were Iranians and Canadians, including dual nationals, while Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons and Swedes were also aboard. Rouhani told his Ukrainian counterpart Saturday that "all the persons involved in this air disaster will be brought to justice," Ukraine's presidency said. This is Iran's worst civil aviation disaster since 1988 when the US military said it shot down an Iran Air plane over the Gulf by mistake, killing all 290 people on board.

Trump warns Iran against 'massacre' as protests erupt over downing of Ukrainian airplane

The Canadian government, under pressure at home to be tougher on Iran over intelligence reports it shot down a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-given-important-data-on-iran-plane-crash-ukraine-foreign-minister-273408">passenger jet</a>, on Friday reiterated calls for a full probe into the disaster and warned Tehran that "the world is watching".

Friends and families of some of the Canadians killed when a Ukrainian airliner crashed outside Tehran are demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau take a harder stance after accusing Iran of downing the plane, albeit probably by mistake. Iran denies the charge.

"Time will tell and the world is watching," said Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne when asked whether Iran was conducting its probe into what happened in good faith.

"I think transparency is what the international community is looking for now," he told a news conference.

Champagne said Ottawa now thought 57 Canadians died in the crash, down from an initial 63, and said an emergency task force was being created to help the families of the victims.

While Trudeau faces pressure at home to respond strongly, he has few options, especially after Canada broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2012. Iran has said it will allow Canadian, US&nbsp;and other international officials to participate in the investigation into Wednesday's crash.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-gets-access-to-crashed-planes-black-boxes-foreign-minister-273477">Ukraine gets access to crashed plane's black boxes, says foreign minister</a>

The prime minister "completely misses the point" when he does not condemn the Iranian government, said Ali Ashtari, 39, a data scientist from Toronto who lost a friend in the crash.

Ashtari said Canada should designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on them. The government already lists the IRGC's overseas arm, the Quds Force, as a terrorist group.

"This is the minimum that we want from the government," Ashtari said at a vigil in Toronto. "Otherwise it's just giving speech with teary eyes, it gives nothing."

Trudeau said Ottawa had demanded Canadian access to Iran to provide consular services, identify victims and participate in the crash investigation.

Champagne said Iran had granted two visas so far to Canadian officials.

The crash on Wednesday, which killed all 176 people on board, occurred as Iran was on alert for possible reprisals after it launched missiles on bases housing US&nbsp;troops in Iraq.

"We would just urge him (Trudeau) to use all his power to find out what really happened and hold the responsible accountable," Amir Arsalani, who lost his sister, her husband and their one-year-old daughter, told Reuters.

Trudeau sidestepped questions on Thursday as to whether the United States should be held at least partially responsible given that Iran's attack on US&nbsp;forces was in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, former Quds Force leader.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. cited two government sources as saying Washington should have warned Canada in advance about the drone strike. Ottawa also wants a more thorough explanation of the thinking behind the attack, they added.

Champagne did not answer questions about whether Canada should have been warned.

Ottawa is focusing in talks with allies on how it can play as large a role as possible in the probe rather than expressing anger against either Iran or the United States, according to three sources familiar with the private conversations.

"There has been no fingerpointing or blame at this stage," said one of the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.

Relations between Trudeau and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump are formal at best, with Trudeau last month caught on camera joking about Trump, and the president calling him "two-faced".

There was no benefit to the government to further sour relations by making "a big public statement" about the United States, said Stephanie Carvin, a former national security analyst and international relations professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Ottawa's best option for now was to persuade like-minded nations to put pressure on Iran, she added.

Champagne said Canada had formed a coordinating group with Britain, Ukraine, Sweden and Afghanistan to help the families of the victims and pressure Iran for a full probe.

Trudeau has few ways to punish Iran in the short term. Bilateral trade - already limited by sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program - totalled just over C$200 million in 2018.

Trudeau was due to meet privately with family members of the victims in Toronto on Friday.

The Canadian government, under pressure at home to be tougher on Iran over intelligence reports it shot down a passenger jet, on Friday reiterated calls for a full probe into the disaster and warned Tehran that "the world is watching".

The Canadian government, under pressure at home to be tougher on Iran over intelligence reports it shot down a passenger jet, on Friday reiterated calls for a full probe into the disaster and warned Tehran that "the world is watching". Friends and families of some of the Canadians killed when a Ukrainian airliner crashed outside Tehran are demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau take a harder stance after accusing Iran of downing the plane, albeit probably by mistake. Iran denies the charge. "Time will tell and the world is watching," said Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne when asked whether Iran was conducting its probe into what happened in good faith. "I think transparency is what the international community is looking for now," he told a news conference. Champagne said Ottawa now thought 57 Canadians died in the crash, down from an initial 63, and said an emergency task force was being created to help the families of the victims. While Trudeau faces pressure at home to respond strongly, he has few options, especially after Canada broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2012. Iran has said it will allow Canadian, US and other international officials to participate in the investigation into Wednesday's crash. Also read: Ukraine gets access to crashed plane's black boxes, says foreign minister The prime minister "completely misses the point" when he does not condemn the Iranian government, said Ali Ashtari, 39, a data scientist from Toronto who lost a friend in the crash. Ashtari said Canada should designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on them. The government already lists the IRGC's overseas arm, the Quds Force, as a terrorist group. "This is the minimum that we want from the government," Ashtari said at a vigil in Toronto. "Otherwise it's just giving speech with teary eyes, it gives nothing." Trudeau said Ottawa had demanded Canadian access to Iran to provide consular services, identify victims and participate in the crash investigation. Champagne said Iran had granted two visas so far to Canadian officials. The crash on Wednesday, which killed all 176 people on board, occurred as Iran was on alert for possible reprisals after it launched missiles on bases housing US troops in Iraq. "We would just urge him (Trudeau) to use all his power to find out what really happened and hold the responsible accountable," Amir Arsalani, who lost his sister, her husband and their one-year-old daughter, told Reuters. Trudeau sidestepped questions on Thursday as to whether the United States should be held at least partially responsible given that Iran's attack on US forces was in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, former Quds Force leader. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. cited two government sources as saying Washington should have warned Canada in advance about the drone strike. Ottawa also wants a more thorough explanation of the thinking behind the attack, they added. Champagne did not answer questions about whether Canada should have been warned. Ottawa is focusing in talks with allies on how it can play as large a role as possible in the probe rather than expressing anger against either Iran or the United States, according to three sources familiar with the private conversations. "There has been no fingerpointing or blame at this stage," said one of the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation. Relations between Trudeau and US President Donald Trump are formal at best, with Trudeau last month caught on camera joking about Trump, and the president calling him "two-faced". There was no benefit to the government to further sour relations by making "a big public statement" about the United States, said Stephanie Carvin, a former national security analyst and international relations professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. Ottawa's best option for now was to persuade like-minded nations to put pressure on Iran, she added. Champagne said Canada had formed a coordinating group with Britain, Ukraine, Sweden and Afghanistan to help the families of the victims and pressure Iran for a full probe. Trudeau has few ways to punish Iran in the short term. Bilateral trade - already limited by sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program - totalled just over C$200 million in 2018. Trudeau was due to meet privately with family members of the victims in Toronto on Friday.

Canada, under pressure at home over plane crash, warns Iran world is watching

President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Saturday that Iran punish those <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-airplane-brought-down-due-to-human-error-iran-273506">responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner</a>, pay compensation and apologise.

"We expect Iran... to bring the guilty to the courts," the Ukrainian leader wrote on Facebook, calling also for the "payment of compensation" and the return of remains.

Tehran admitted Saturday that it accidentally downed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-given-important-data-on-iran-plane-crash-ukraine-foreign-minister-273408">Ukraine International Airlines</a> (UIA) plane, killing all 176 people on board on Wednesday, shortly after launching missiles at bases hosting US forces in Iraq.

"We hope the inquiry will be pursued without deliberate delay and without obstruction," Zelensky added

He urged "total access" to the full inquiry for 45 Ukrainian experts, and in a tweet also sought an "official apology".

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said earlier Saturday that Tehran "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake".

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UIA chief Yevhenii Dykhne also posted on Facebook, saying: "We never had any doubt that our crew and our plane could be the cause of this terrible catastrophe. They were the best."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-aircraft-was-not-hit-by-a-missile-irans-civil-aviation-chief-273368">Ukraine</a> said Friday its experts dispatched to Iran had been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-gets-access-to-crashed-planes-black-boxes-foreign-minister-273477">granted access to the flight's black boxes</a>, debris from the plane, the crash site and to recordings of conversations between the pilot and the airport control tower.

Iran's official IRNA news agency published a statement from the military saying the Boeing 737 was mistaken for a "hostile plane" at a time when threats were at the highest level.

Tehran has invited the United States, Ukraine, Canada and others to join the crash investigation.

The majority of passengers on UIA Flight PS752 from Tehran to Kiev were Iranian-Canadian dual nationals but also included Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons and Swedes

Many in Kiev have compared the crash to the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 killing 298 people over eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian separatists are fighting government forces.

Moscow has denied the findings of international investigators that a Russian BUK misile hit the Malaysian flight.

"Iran has shown itself more civilised than Russia," pro-western Ukraine MP Volodymyr Ariev wrote on Facebook.

"Tehran has admitted its guilt in three days while Russia continues to try to get out of it."

President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Saturday that Iran punish those responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, pay compensation and apologise. "We expect Iran.

President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Saturday that Iran punish those responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, pay compensation and apologise. "We expect Iran... to bring the guilty to the courts," the Ukrainian leader wrote on Facebook, calling also for the "payment of compensation" and the return of remains. Tehran admitted Saturday that it accidentally downed the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane, killing all 176 people on board on Wednesday, shortly after launching missiles at bases hosting US forces in Iraq. "We hope the inquiry will be pursued without deliberate delay and without obstruction," Zelensky added He urged "total access" to the full inquiry for 45 Ukrainian experts, and in a tweet also sought an "official apology". Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said earlier Saturday that Tehran "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake". × UIA chief Yevhenii Dykhne also posted on Facebook, saying: "We never had any doubt that our crew and our plane could be the cause of this terrible catastrophe. They were the best." Ukraine said Friday its experts dispatched to Iran had been granted access to the flight's black boxes, debris from the plane, the crash site and to recordings of conversations between the pilot and the airport control tower. Iran's official IRNA news agency published a statement from the military saying the Boeing 737 was mistaken for a "hostile plane" at a time when threats were at the highest level. Tehran has invited the United States, Ukraine, Canada and others to join the crash investigation. The majority of passengers on UIA Flight PS752 from Tehran to Kiev were Iranian-Canadian dual nationals but also included Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons and Swedes Many in Kiev have compared the crash to the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 killing 298 people over eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian separatists are fighting government forces. Moscow has denied the findings of international investigators that a Russian BUK misile hit the Malaysian flight. "Iran has shown itself more civilised than Russia," pro-western Ukraine MP Volodymyr Ariev wrote on Facebook. "Tehran has admitted its guilt in three days while Russia continues to try to get out of it."

Ukraine demands punishment, compensation for airliner downed by Iran