Russia: Unverified info of six F-35 jets on Iran's borders at time of plane crash

Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov said on January 17 that there is unverified information that at least six American F-35 jets were there on the Iranian border side when Iran accidentally shot a Ukraine International Airline flight near Tehran airport last week. He said the information is yet to be verified. He added that it was crucial to understand the situation amid the escalations in the Middle East after Iran retaliated against the US strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Lavrov added that Iran was expecting another attack from the US after the missile strike and was not sure what form it might take.

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Growing tensions may not help settle problems: Lavrov

Lavrov said that he was not trying to excuse anyone for the incident. He added that the growing tensions between Iran and the US will not help settle any single crisis in the region, and said it will just increase more tensions. In a massive admission on January 11, Iran amid tensions with the United States, had accepted that the Ukranian jet shot down on January 8 was done by mistake. Issuing a statement, Iran's military on state television said that the incident happened due to "human error." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, taking to Twitter, has said that it is an "unforgivable mistake." He also said that "investigation on this great tragedy continues." 

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Military statement 

A military statement carried by state media said that the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned toward a “sensitive military center” of the Revolutionary Guard. “The military was at its highest level of readiness amid the heightened tensions with the US. In such a condition, because of human error and in an unintentional way, the flight was hit.” It apologised for the disaster and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent such mistakes in the future. The responsible parties would be referred to a judicial department within the military and held accountable, the military said. 

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