<p>Iranian protesters and newspapers&nbsp;piled&nbsp;pressure&nbsp;on the country's leadership and riot police stepped up their presence in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-foreign-minister-to-visit-iran-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-developments-in-middle-east-273726">Tehran</a> on Sunday&nbsp;after&nbsp;Iran's military admitted that it had mistakenly shot down a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-airplane-brought-down-due-to-human-error-iran-273506">Ukrainian airliner</a>.</p>

<p>Riot police fired teargas at thousands of&nbsp;Iranians who had taken to the streets late on Saturday in the capital and other cities, many chanting "Death to the dictator", directing their anger at&nbsp;Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-iran-against-massacre-as-protests-erupt-over-downing-of-ukrainian-airplane-273670">Ali Khamenei</a>.</p>

<p>Reports of the&nbsp;protests&nbsp;were carried by state-affiliated news agencies, while video clips circulated on social media.</p>

<p>Tehran residents told reporters&nbsp;that police had stepped up their presence in the capital on Sunday morning.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Protesters condemn government over its initial denial of downing Ukrainian plane</strong></p>

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<p>"Apologise and resign,"&nbsp;Iran's moderate Etemad daily wrote in a banner headline on Sunday, saying the "people's demand" was for those responsible for mishandling the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;crisis to quit.</p>

<p>All 176 people aboard the flight, many of them&nbsp;Iranians with dual citizenship, were killed.</p>

<p>Protests&nbsp;erupted&nbsp;after&nbsp;Saturday's&nbsp;admission&nbsp;that the military accidentally shot down the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-demands-punishment-compensation-for-airliner-downed-by-iran-273583">Ukraine International Airlines</a>&nbsp;plane&nbsp;minutes&nbsp;after&nbsp;takeoff on Wednesday when&nbsp;Iranian forces were alert for US&nbsp;reprisals&nbsp;after&nbsp;tit-for-tat&nbsp;strikes.</p>

<p>For days,&nbsp;Iranian officials had vigorously denied it was to blame, even as Canada, which had 57 citizens on the flight, and the United States said their intelligence indicated an&nbsp;Iranian missile was to blame, albeit probably fired in error.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.<br />
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My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences. <a href="https://t.co/4dkePxupzm">https://t.co/4dkePxupzm</a></p>
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) <a href="https://twitter.com/HassanRouhani/status/1215856679423823872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Iran's president said it was a "disastrous mistake" and apologised. But a top Revolutionary Guards commander added to public anger about the delayed&nbsp;admission when he said he had told the authorities a missile hit the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;the day it crashed.</p>

<p>Another moderate daily Jomhuri-ye Eslami, or the Islamic Republic, wrote in an editorial: "Those who delayed publishing the reason behind the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;crash and damaged people's trust in the establishment should be dismissed or should resign."</p>

<p>Criticism of the authorities in&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is not unusual, but it tends to stay in narrow boundaries.</p>

<p>The press attacks and&nbsp;protests&nbsp;add to challenges facing the establishment, which in November faced the country's bloodiest unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution.</p>

<p>As Saturday's&nbsp;protests&nbsp;spread across&nbsp;Iran, including major cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh, US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-iran-against-massacre-as-protests-erupt-over-downing-of-ukrainian-airplane-273670">Donald Trump</a> said on Twitter: "We are following your&nbsp;protests&nbsp;closely, and are inspired by your courage."</p>

<p>"There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching," he said, posting his tweets in both Farsi and English.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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.</p>
— 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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<p>Britain said its ambassador in&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;had been briefly detained on Saturday by the authorities in Tehran. A news agency said he was detained outside a university for inciting&nbsp;protests.</p>

<p>Condemning the arrest, British Foreign Secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-denounces-brief-arrest-of-envoy-in-tehran-as-violation-of-law-273690">Dominic Raab</a> said&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;"can continue its march towards pariah status&nbsp;or take steps to de-escalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Foreign Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/DominicRaab?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DominicRaab</a> calls brief detention of <a href="https://twitter.com/HMATehran?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HMATehran</a> a “flagrant violation of international law.” Full statement: <a href="https://t.co/bcx5dYInUb">https://t.co/bcx5dYInUb</a></p>
— Foreign Office 🇬🇧 (@foreignoffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/foreignoffice/status/1216114167888912385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Protests&nbsp;inside&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;followed a build-up of tension between&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and the United States, which withdrew from Tehran's nuclear pact with world powers in 2018 and then re-imposed sanctions that have steadily crippled the&nbsp;Iranian economy.</p>

<p>On January&nbsp;3, a US&nbsp;drone&nbsp;strike&nbsp;in Iraq killed prominent&nbsp;Iranian commander <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-general-soleimanis-killing-was-self-defense-us-ambassador-kelly-craft-to-un-273117">Qasem Soleimani</a>, responsible for building up&nbsp;Iran's network of regional proxy armies in Iraq and beyond, and Tehran responded with missile&nbsp;strikes on US&nbsp;targets in Iraq.</p>

<p>No US&nbsp;soldiers were killed, but in the tense hours&nbsp;after&nbsp;that, the Ukrainian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-airplane-brought-down-due-to-human-error-iran-273506">Boeing 737</a> was cleared to take off from Tehran airport and then brought down by a missile fired in error by an operator who mistook the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;for an attacker.</p>

<p><img alt="Relatives of the flight crew members of the plane that crashed in Iran, mourn at a memorial at the Boryspil International airport outside Kiev, Ukraine " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="93f67be6-2401-4cdf-a0e8-7eef59ffee84" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_8.jpg" /><br />
[ <em>Relatives of the flight crew members of the plane that crashed in Iran, mourn at a memorial at the Boryspil International airport outside Kiev, Ukraine&nbsp;(Courtesy: Reuters)</em> ]</p>

<p>"Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific.&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;must take full responsibility," Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ottawa-lowers-canadian-death-toll-in-iran-air-crash-to-57-273604">Justin Trudeau</a> said.</p>

<p>Trudeau said&nbsp;Iranian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/soleimani-was-probably-planning-to-attack-four-us-embassies-donald-trump-273535">Hassan Rouhani</a> had committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators, working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing dialogue.</p>

<p>Rallying to the establishment,&nbsp;Iranian lawmakers praised the elite force's commanders for courage in admitting the error, according to Fars, a news agency seen as close to the Guards, a parallel military set up to protect the theocratic system.</p>

<p>Iranian officials sought to portray the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;disaster as a second blow to a mourning nation&nbsp;after&nbsp;Soleimani's death in a US&nbsp;drone&nbsp;strike.</p>

<p>Soleimani's funeral had prompted huge public gatherings, which the authorities described a show of national unity. But the displays of emotion have been swiftly overshadowed and protesters on Saturday tore up pictures of the slain general.</p>

<p>Public fury at&nbsp;Iran's authorities had grown as questions about the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;crash mounted.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-warns-iran-nuclear-deal-may-collapse-273585">Iranians</a> on social media asked why officials were busy fending off criticism from abroad rather than sympathising with grieving families. Others asked why the&nbsp;plane&nbsp;was allowed to take off at a time of high tension.</p>


Iranian protesters and newspapers piled pressure on the country's leadership and riot police stepped up their presence in Tehran on Sunday after Iran's military admitted that it had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner.

Iranian protesters and newspapers piled pressure on the country's leadership and riot police stepped up their presence in Tehran on Sunday after Iran's military admitted that it had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner. Riot police fired teargas at thousands of Iranians who had taken to the streets late on Saturday in the capital and other cities, many chanting "Death to the dictator", directing their anger at Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Reports of the protests were carried by state-affiliated news agencies, while video clips circulated on social media. Tehran residents told reporters that police had stepped up their presence in the capital on Sunday morning. Watch: Protesters condemn government over its initial denial of downing Ukrainian plane × "Apologise and resign," Iran's moderate Etemad daily wrote in a banner headline on Sunday, saying the "people's demand" was for those responsible for mishandling the plane crisis to quit. All 176 people aboard the flight, many of them Iranians with dual citizenship, were killed. Protests erupted after Saturday's admission that the military accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane minutes after takeoff on Wednesday when Iranian forces were alert for US reprisals after tit-for-tat strikes. For days, Iranian officials had vigorously denied it was to blame, even as Canada, which had 57 citizens on the flight, and the United States said their intelligence indicated an Iranian missile was to blame, albeit probably fired in error. The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences. https://t.co/4dkePxupzm — Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) January 11, 2020 × Iran's president said it was a "disastrous mistake" and apologised. But a top Revolutionary Guards commander added to public anger about the delayed admission when he said he had told the authorities a missile hit the plane the day it crashed. Another moderate daily Jomhuri-ye Eslami, or the Islamic Republic, wrote in an editorial: "Those who delayed publishing the reason behind the plane crash and damaged people's trust in the establishment should be dismissed or should resign." Criticism of the authorities in Iran is not unusual, but it tends to stay in narrow boundaries. The press attacks and protests add to challenges facing the establishment, which in November faced the country's bloodiest unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution. As Saturday's protests spread across Iran, including major cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh, US President Donald Trump said on Twitter: "We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage." "There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching," he said, posting his tweets in both Farsi and English. 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 × Britain said its ambassador in Iran had been briefly detained on Saturday by the authorities in Tehran. A news agency said he was detained outside a university for inciting protests. Condemning the arrest, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Iran "can continue its march towards pariah status or take steps to de-escalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards." Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab calls brief detention of @HMATehran a “flagrant violation of international law.” Full statement: https://t.co/bcx5dYInUb — Foreign Office 🇬🇧 (@foreignoffice) January 11, 2020 × Protests inside Iran followed a build-up of tension between Iran and the United States, which withdrew from Tehran's nuclear pact with world powers in 2018 and then re-imposed sanctions that have steadily crippled the Iranian economy. On January 3, a US drone strike in Iraq killed prominent Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, responsible for building up Iran's network of regional proxy armies in Iraq and beyond, and Tehran responded with missile strikes on US targets in Iraq. No US soldiers were killed, but in the tense hours after that, the Ukrainian Boeing 737 was cleared to take off from Tehran airport and then brought down by a missile fired in error by an operator who mistook the plane for an attacker. [ Relatives of the flight crew members of the plane that crashed in Iran, mourn at a memorial at the Boryspil International airport outside Kiev, Ukraine (Courtesy: Reuters) ] "Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Trudeau said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators, working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing dialogue. Rallying to the establishment, Iranian lawmakers praised the elite force's commanders for courage in admitting the error, according to Fars, a news agency seen as close to the Guards, a parallel military set up to protect the theocratic system. Iranian officials sought to portray the plane disaster as a second blow to a mourning nation after Soleimani's death in a US drone strike. Soleimani's funeral had prompted huge public gatherings, which the authorities described a show of national unity. But the displays of emotion have been swiftly overshadowed and protesters on Saturday tore up pictures of the slain general. Public fury at Iran's authorities had grown as questions about the plane crash mounted. Iranians on social media asked why officials were busy fending off criticism from abroad rather than sympathising with grieving families. Others asked why the plane was allowed to take off at a time of high tension.

Iranians step up protests after Tehran's admission that it shot down Ukrainian airliner

<p>A confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the US <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/soleimani-was-probably-planning-to-attack-four-us-embassies-donald-trump-273535">killing</a> of a&nbsp;top&nbsp;general and turmoil in&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;are set to dominate talks in Moscow on Saturday between the leaders of Russia and Germany.</p>

<p>Russia's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-fully-respect-iraqs-sovereignty-says-irans-un-ambassador-after-ballistic-missile-strike-273064">Vladimir Putin</a> will hold talks with German Chancellor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-visits-auschwitz-for-first-time-266657">Angela Merkel</a> in Moscow on Saturday afternoon, her first visit since May 2018 when the two leaders met at Sochi on the Black Sea.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crimea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crimea</a>: The President watched the joint exercises of the Northern and Black Sea fleets <a href="https://t.co/ZusR628AYx">https://t.co/ZusR628AYx</a> <a href="https://t.co/DJn09l0VWe">pic.twitter.com/DJn09l0VWe</a></p>
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) <a href="https://twitter.com/KremlinRussia_E/status/1215291712173694976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Putin visited Syria and Turkey this week and is keen to stress his role as a regional powerbroker.</p>

<p>German Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/soleimani-was-plotting-imminent-action-threatening-hundreds-of-american-lives-pompeo-271975">Heiko Maas</a>, who will attend the talks, said a "key reason" for the&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;was the escalating crisis in&nbsp;Libya, where Germany is acting as a mediator in a conflict he has warned could become a "second Syria".</p>

<p>"We are involving Europe and those players who are influential there, for that we need Russia," Maas told Germany's NTV television. "For us, it's not too far to fly to Moscow to discuss that with Putin."</p>

<p>Merkel is to invite Putin to a Berlin conference on&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;later this month, diplomatic sources told reporters.</p>

<p>Putin and Turkish President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/sports-has-emerged-as-battlefield-for-freedom-of-expression-270322">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> called for a ceasefire in&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;on Wednesday, although they are seen as supporting opposing sides in the conflict.</p>

<p>While Turkey has sent troops to support the UN-backed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libya-haftar-forces-seize-large-parts-of-sirte-city-272759">Tripoli</a> government, Moscow is accused of backing mercenaries supporting strongman Khalifa Haftar in his fight against the government.</p>

<p>Haftar said he would fight on despite the call for a ceasefire.</p>

<p>The Kremlin said last week that Saturday's talks would cover the "escalation of tensions" in the Middle East after the US killed&nbsp;top&nbsp;Iranian commander General <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/soleimani-was-probably-planning-to-attack-four-us-embassies-donald-trump-273535">Qasem Soleimani</a> in a drone strike close to Baghdad.</p>

<p>Putin warned the killing could "seriously aggravate the situation in the region".</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Iran gives black box to Ukraine</strong></p>

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<p>Iran, an ally of Moscow, responded with missile attacks on Iraq bases housing American troops.</p>

<p>While Germany condemned the tit-for-tat violence and urged Tehran to end a "spiral" of conflict, Putin said using force would "not contribute to finding solutions to the complex problems in the Middle East".</p>

<p>Tehran has announced a further rollback on its commitment to a 2015 nuclear accord following the United States' unilateral withdrawal in 2018. Russia and Germany are among world powers still backing the deal.</p>

<p>The talks also come after a Ukrainian airliner crashed in&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;on Wednesday killing all 176 onboard. Canada and the US have suggested&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;downed it with a missile, which Tehran denies.</p>

<p>The Kremlin said the talks would also cover the conflict in Ukraine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The war with Moscow-backed separatists broke out after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and has killed more than 13,000 people.</p>

<p>Putin in December held talks with Ukrainian counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-given-important-data-on-iran-plane-crash-ukraine-foreign-minister-273408">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> in Paris in the "Normandy format" hosted by German and French leaders.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanked <a href="https://twitter.com/HeikoMaas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeikoMaas</a> for German support and sympathy after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ps752?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ps752</a> tragedy. During the phone call we agreed to cooperate for independent and transparent investigation. We discussed also "Minsk settlement". Waiting for news ater the meeting between Merkel and Putin on 11 January.</p>
— Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) <a href="https://twitter.com/VPrystaiko/status/1215373166224330752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Ukrainian Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-gets-access-to-crashed-planes-black-boxes-foreign-minister-273477">Vadym Prystaiko</a> tweeted on Friday that he had spoken to Maas about the Ukraine conflict and was "waiting for news" to emerge from the talks.</p>

<p>Political analysts in Kiev said they expected the topic to be overshadowed by&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;tensions, while Merkel could ask Putin to push Tehran for a transparent investigation of the plane crash.</p>


A confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the US killing of a top general and turmoil in Libya are set to dominate talks in Moscow on Saturday between the leaders of Russia and Germany.

A confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the US killing of a top general and turmoil in Libya are set to dominate talks in Moscow on Saturday between the leaders of Russia and Germany. Russia's Vladimir Putin will hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow on Saturday afternoon, her first visit since May 2018 when the two leaders met at Sochi on the Black Sea. #Crimea: The President watched the joint exercises of the Northern and Black Sea fleets https://t.co/ZusR628AYx pic.twitter.com/DJn09l0VWe — President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) January 9, 2020 × Putin visited Syria and Turkey this week and is keen to stress his role as a regional powerbroker. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who will attend the talks, said a "key reason" for the meeting was the escalating crisis in Libya, where Germany is acting as a mediator in a conflict he has warned could become a "second Syria". "We are involving Europe and those players who are influential there, for that we need Russia," Maas told Germany's NTV television. "For us, it's not too far to fly to Moscow to discuss that with Putin." Merkel is to invite Putin to a Berlin conference on Libya later this month, diplomatic sources told reporters. Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a ceasefire in Libya on Wednesday, although they are seen as supporting opposing sides in the conflict. While Turkey has sent troops to support the UN-backed Tripoli government, Moscow is accused of backing mercenaries supporting strongman Khalifa Haftar in his fight against the government. Haftar said he would fight on despite the call for a ceasefire. The Kremlin said last week that Saturday's talks would cover the "escalation of tensions" in the Middle East after the US killed top Iranian commander General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike close to Baghdad. Putin warned the killing could "seriously aggravate the situation in the region". Watch: Iran gives black box to Ukraine × Iran, an ally of Moscow, responded with missile attacks on Iraq bases housing American troops. While Germany condemned the tit-for-tat violence and urged Tehran to end a "spiral" of conflict, Putin said using force would "not contribute to finding solutions to the complex problems in the Middle East". Tehran has announced a further rollback on its commitment to a 2015 nuclear accord following the United States' unilateral withdrawal in 2018. Russia and Germany are among world powers still backing the deal. The talks also come after a Ukrainian airliner crashed in Iran on Wednesday killing all 176 onboard. Canada and the US have suggested Iran downed it with a missile, which Tehran denies. The Kremlin said the talks would also cover the conflict in Ukraine. The war with Moscow-backed separatists broke out after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and has killed more than 13,000 people. Putin in December held talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris in the "Normandy format" hosted by German and French leaders. Thanked @HeikoMaas for German support and sympathy after #ps752 tragedy. During the phone call we agreed to cooperate for independent and transparent investigation. We discussed also "Minsk settlement". Waiting for news ater the meeting between Merkel and Putin on 11 January. — Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) January 9, 2020 × Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko tweeted on Friday that he had spoken to Maas about the Ukraine conflict and was "waiting for news" to emerge from the talks. Political analysts in Kiev said they expected the topic to be overshadowed by Iran tensions, while Merkel could ask Putin to push Tehran for a transparent investigation of the plane crash.

Libya and Iran top agenda in Merkel-Putin meeting

<p>Ukrainian airliner crash in Iran&nbsp;killed all 176 people on board. Canada's Prime Minister&nbsp;Justin Trudeau&nbsp;citing intelligence said on Thursday that the crash had occurred due to an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it "may well have been unintentional".</p>

<ul>
	<li>Washington had concluded that with the&nbsp;high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-all-passengers-aboard-ukrainian-airplane-killed-in-crash-272841"><strong>Read more</strong></a></li>
	<li>The US believes Iran shot down the plane by mistake. <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-airlines-crash-western-intelligence-agencies-iran-and-ukraine-dismiss-theory-of-missile-downing-boeing-737-273157">Read more</a></strong></li>
	<li>The plane was airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected.<strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-plane-crash-investigators-consider-several-leads-including-missile-strike-technical-malfunction-act-of-terror-273238">Read more</a></strong></li>
	<li>US President Donald Trump said he did not believe the crash of the airliner was due to a mechanical issue. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-boxes-of-ukranian-boeing-737-airline-found-iran-273062"><strong>Read more&nbsp;</strong></a></li>
	<li>The Ukrainian airliner took off at 6:12 am on Tuesday and was given permission to climb to 26,000 feet (7,925 m). It crashed six minutes later near the town of Sabashahr. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-boxes-of-ukranian-boeing-737-airline-found-iran-273062"><strong>Read more&nbsp;</strong></a></li>
	<li>Iran has formally invited the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to take part in its investigation and the agency has agreed to assign an investigator. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-airplane-with-180-aboard-crashes-in-iran-272823"><strong>Read More&nbsp;</strong></a></li>
	<li>&nbsp;Boeing is still reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes in five months that led to the plane's grounding in March 2019. The 737-800 that crashed was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX. Boeing has built about 5,000 of those planes, which have a good safety record. <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/intelligence-evidence-indicates-boeing-airliner-was-shot-down-by-iranian-surface-to-air-missile-trudeau-273282">Read more</a></strong></li>
	<li>The FAA had banned US&nbsp;carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the hours after Iran's attack on US-led forces in Iraq. Several other airlines also diverted flights.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-boeing-737-airliner-turned-was-headed-to-airport-when-it-crashed-iran-civil-aviation-authority-273145"><strong> Read more&nbsp;</strong></a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Watch Video:</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fineprint-iran-plane-crash-what-do-we-know-about-the-crash-273258/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Ukrainian airliner crash in Iran killed all 176 people on board. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing intelligence said on Thursday that the crash had occurred due to an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it "may well have been unintentional".

Ukrainian airliner crash in Iran killed all 176 people on board. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing intelligence said on Thursday that the crash had occurred due to an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it "may well have been unintentional". Washington had concluded that with the high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane. Read more The US believes Iran shot down the plane by mistake. Read more The plane was airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected. Read more US President Donald Trump said he did not believe the crash of the airliner was due to a mechanical issue. Read more The Ukrainian airliner took off at 6:12 am on Tuesday and was given permission to climb to 26,000 feet (7,925 m). It crashed six minutes later near the town of Sabashahr. Read more Iran has formally invited the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to take part in its investigation and the agency has agreed to assign an investigator. Read More Boeing is still reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes in five months that led to the plane's grounding in March 2019. The 737-800 that crashed was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX. Boeing has built about 5,000 of those planes, which have a good safety record. Read more The FAA had banned US carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the hours after Iran's attack on US-led forces in Iraq. Several other airlines also diverted flights. Read more Watch Video:

Iran plane crash news: Iran formally invites US transport board to investigate Boeing airliner crash

<p>Iran said on Friday it wanted to download black box recordings itself from a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-aircraft-was-not-hit-by-a-missile-irans-civil-aviation-chief-273368">Ukrainian airliner</a> that crashed, killing all 176 people aboard, after Canada and others said the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile, probably by mistake.</p>

<p>Iran, which has denied the Boeing 737-800&nbsp;was downed by a missile, said it could take one or two months to extract information from the voice and flight data recorders. It said it could ask Russia, Canada, France or Ukraine if it needed help.</p>

<p>Tehran also said the probe might take one or two years.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/intelligence-evidence-indicates-boeing-airliner-was-shot-down-by-iranian-surface-to-air-missile-trudeau-273282">Intelligence evidence indicates Boeing airliner was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missile: Trudeau</a></strong></p>

<p>Ukraine said it could not rule out a missile strike but had not confirmed this. The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev from Tehran crashed on Wednesday when Iran was on alert for a US military response hours after firing missiles at US targets in Iraq.</p>

<p>The incident adds to international pressure on Iran, after months of tension with the United States and then tit-for-tat military strikes. Washington killed an Iranian general last week in a drone attack in Iraq, prompting Tehran's missile launches.</p>

<p>On social media, many Iranians voiced anger at the authorities for not closing the airport after Iran's missile launches. Many passengers were Iranians with dual nationality.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-rumours-missile-caused-plane-crash-make-no-sense-273278">Iran says rumours missile caused plane crash make 'no sense'</a></strong></p>

<p>"We prefer to download black boxes in Iran. But if we see that we can't do that because the boxes are damaged, then we will seek help," Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, told a news conference in Tehran.</p>

<p>State television earlier showed the battered black boxes, saying their information could be downloaded and analysed.</p>

<p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, citing intelligence from Canada and other sources, has blamed an Iranian missile for bringing down the plane that had 63 Canadians on board, although he said it "may well have been unintentional".</p>

<p>"The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," he said.</p>

<p>Ukraine's general prosecutor asked Canada "to provide information available to the Canadian side that may facilitate criminal investigations" into the crash.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-us-plane-crash-news-updates-iran-formally-invites-us-transport-board-to-investigate-boeing-airliner-crash-273301">Iran plane crash news: Iran formally invites US transport board to investigate Boeing airliner crash</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Error</strong></p>

<p>France’s BEA air accident agency said on it would be involved in the investigation into the Ukrainian crash. BEA helped analyse data from the flight recorder of a Boeing that crashed in Ethiopia last year.</p>

<p>"It is important that as much clarity as possible is made and as quickly as possible," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.</p>

<p>A US official, citing satellite data, said Washington had concluded with a high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane in error.</p>

<p>The official said the data showed the plane airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected. There was an explosion in the vicinity and heat data showed the plane on fire as it fell. US military satellites detect infrared emissions from heat.</p>

<p>US President Donald Trump told reporters he believed "somebody could have made a mistake".</p>

<p>A defence expert said the plane's radar signature would have been similar to a US military transport plane.</p>

<p>The New York Times said it had obtained a video appearing to show an Iranian missile hitting a plane near Tehran airport.</p>

<p>Iran denied the airliner had been hit by a missile, saying such reports were "psychological warfare against Iran."</p>

<p>"All those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said.</p>

<p>Iran's Foreign Ministry said that, after coordinating with Ottawa, a delegation of 10 Canadians were heading to Tehran to follow up on Canadian victims. Canada has no diplomatic ties with Iran.</p>

<p><strong>Cooperation</strong></p>

<p>Iran's civil aviation organisation said in an initial report less than 24 hours after the incident that the three-year-old airliner, which had its last scheduled maintenance on Monday, encountered a technical problem after takeoff and was heading to a nearby airport before it crashed.</p>

<p>Investigations into airliner crashes require the cooperation of regulators, experts and companies across jurisdictions. They can take months and initial reports in 24 hours are rare.</p>

<p>Ukraine has outlined four potential scenarios, including a missile strike and terrorism. Kiev said its investigators wanted to search the crash site for possible debris of a Russian-made missile used by Iran's military.</p>

<p>The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it was making arrangements to tour the site after an Iranian invitation.</p>

<p>The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had designated a representative to join the probe.</p>

<p>Boeing said it would support the NTSB. The company is reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes, including the one in Ethiopia, that led to the model's grounding last year.</p>

<p>The crash plane was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX.</p>


Iran said on Friday it wanted to download black box recordings itself from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed, killing all 176 people aboard, after Canada and others said the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile, probably by mistake.

Iran said on Friday it wanted to download black box recordings itself from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed, killing all 176 people aboard, after Canada and others said the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile, probably by mistake. Iran, which has denied the Boeing 737-800 was downed by a missile, said it could take one or two months to extract information from the voice and flight data recorders. It said it could ask Russia, Canada, France or Ukraine if it needed help. Tehran also said the probe might take one or two years. Also read: Intelligence evidence indicates Boeing airliner was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missile: Trudeau Ukraine said it could not rule out a missile strike but had not confirmed this. The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev from Tehran crashed on Wednesday when Iran was on alert for a US military response hours after firing missiles at US targets in Iraq. The incident adds to international pressure on Iran, after months of tension with the United States and then tit-for-tat military strikes. Washington killed an Iranian general last week in a drone attack in Iraq, prompting Tehran's missile launches. On social media, many Iranians voiced anger at the authorities for not closing the airport after Iran's missile launches. Many passengers were Iranians with dual nationality. Also read: Iran says rumours missile caused plane crash make 'no sense' "We prefer to download black boxes in Iran. But if we see that we can't do that because the boxes are damaged, then we will seek help," Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, told a news conference in Tehran. State television earlier showed the battered black boxes, saying their information could be downloaded and analysed. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, citing intelligence from Canada and other sources, has blamed an Iranian missile for bringing down the plane that had 63 Canadians on board, although he said it "may well have been unintentional". "The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," he said. Ukraine's general prosecutor asked Canada "to provide information available to the Canadian side that may facilitate criminal investigations" into the crash. Also read: Iran plane crash news: Iran formally invites US transport board to investigate Boeing airliner crash Error France’s BEA air accident agency said on it would be involved in the investigation into the Ukrainian crash. BEA helped analyse data from the flight recorder of a Boeing that crashed in Ethiopia last year. "It is important that as much clarity as possible is made and as quickly as possible," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. A US official, citing satellite data, said Washington had concluded with a high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane in error. The official said the data showed the plane airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected. There was an explosion in the vicinity and heat data showed the plane on fire as it fell. US military satellites detect infrared emissions from heat. US President Donald Trump told reporters he believed "somebody could have made a mistake". A defence expert said the plane's radar signature would have been similar to a US military transport plane. The New York Times said it had obtained a video appearing to show an Iranian missile hitting a plane near Tehran airport. Iran denied the airliner had been hit by a missile, saying such reports were "psychological warfare against Iran." "All those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said. Iran's Foreign Ministry said that, after coordinating with Ottawa, a delegation of 10 Canadians were heading to Tehran to follow up on Canadian victims. Canada has no diplomatic ties with Iran. Cooperation Iran's civil aviation organisation said in an initial report less than 24 hours after the incident that the three-year-old airliner, which had its last scheduled maintenance on Monday, encountered a technical problem after takeoff and was heading to a nearby airport before it crashed. Investigations into airliner crashes require the cooperation of regulators, experts and companies across jurisdictions. They can take months and initial reports in 24 hours are rare. Ukraine has outlined four potential scenarios, including a missile strike and terrorism. Kiev said its investigators wanted to search the crash site for possible debris of a Russian-made missile used by Iran's military. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it was making arrangements to tour the site after an Iranian invitation. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had designated a representative to join the probe. Boeing said it would support the NTSB. The company is reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes, including the one in Ethiopia, that led to the model's grounding last year. The crash plane was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX.

'We prefer to download black boxes': Iran after plane crash blamed on missile

According to reports, a Ukraine International Airlines flight carrying 180 passengers has crashed soon after it took off from Iran’s Imam Khomeini airport on Wednesday (January 8). #WION #Iran #Ukraine #AirlineCrash

Breaking: Ukraine airline crashes in Iran