Iran plane crash: FM Zarif apologises for plane 'disaster', cites 'US adventurism'

Tehran, Jan 11: Iran plane crash: Iranian FM apologises for plane 'disaster', cites 'US adventurism'

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday offered his country's "profound regrets, apologies and condolences" after the armed forces admitted shooting down a Ukrainian airliner due to "human error".

"A sad day," Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. "Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster," he said.

"Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.

Iran announced Saturday that its military "unintentionally'' shot down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 aboard, after the government had repeatedly denied Western accusations that it was responsible.

The plane was shot down early Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. No one was wounded in the attack on the bases.