The Ukrainian jet that crashed after taking off from a Tehran airport probably was mistakenly shot down by an Iranian missile, a London-based global information firm says.
“Photographs purportedly taken near the site of the crash and circulated on social media appear to show the guidance section of an SA-15 Gauntlet short-range, surface to air missile, which landed in a nearby garden,” the firm IHS Markit said in its report.
The firm said it could not confirm the authenticity of the photos but “assesses them to be credible.”
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. soldiers. All 176 passengers and crew of the Boeing 737-800 were killed.
President Trump said Thursday he found the crash suspicious.
It’s Time to Let States Lead on Paid Family Leave
Primary showdown: Polls close in Tennessee as conservative firebrand eyes governor’s office
EXCLUSIVE: Michigan House speaker calls for answers over $300M taxpayer-funded Rx Kids program
Amazon Investigating After Footage of Delivery Driver Refusing to Take ‘Extra Two Steps’ Goes Viral
Senate scrambles for the exit amid outstanding to-do list: ‘Clear as mud’
Death Toll Hits Triple Digits, Thousands of Africans Remain in Spanish City in Aftermath of Invasion
Doctor Charged in Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme That Allegedly ‘Exploited Elderly Patients’ and Taxpayers
Keeping Strait of Hormuz toll-free is paramount concern for international bodies as Iran-Oman negotiations drag
Trump signs executive orders targeting birthright citizenship, birth tourism after Supreme Court setback
Missouri neighbor accused of killing mother and teen daughter after confronting family over dispute
Foreign drunk drivers could face swift boot out of country under Trump’s ‘America first’ crackdown
WATCH: Dashcam captures the split second a routine Tennessee traffic stop goes sideways
Fauci’s Nightmare Worsens – Guess Who Just Got a Copy of His COVID-Era Phone?
Trump allies push to arm president with new tariff weapon to punish countries ‘ripping off’ America
Reporter’s Notebook: Summer ends, but the Senate’s fall crunch begins
In Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said that investigators were looking into claims that parts of a Russian-made, surface-to-air missile stocked by Iran had been found near the crash site.
In a preliminary crash report issued Thursday, Iran’s civil aviation authority said the plane’s crew never made a radio call for help and were trying to turn back to the airport when the plane went down. The plane apparently suffered engine failure, Iranian officials said.
IHS Markit says publicly available air traffic data is “not consistent” with Iran’s claim. The firm says flight data shows a normal ascent until the plane disappears at 8,000 feet.
“This is consistent with a catastrophic incident onboard the aircraft,” the report said.
The report adds that “A pilot of an airliner that took off from Tehran airport shortly after UIA Flight 752 told an IHS Markit source that he watched the aircraft take off and then explode in midair.”
Newsweek, citing two Pentagon officials, said the plane was struck by an anti-aircraft missile. The officials told Newsweek the strike was likely accidental.
It’s Time to Let States Lead on Paid Family Leave
Primary showdown: Polls close in Tennessee as conservative firebrand eyes governor’s office
EXCLUSIVE: Michigan House speaker calls for answers over $300M taxpayer-funded Rx Kids program
Amazon Investigating After Footage of Delivery Driver Refusing to Take ‘Extra Two Steps’ Goes Viral
Senate scrambles for the exit amid outstanding to-do list: ‘Clear as mud’
Death Toll Hits Triple Digits, Thousands of Africans Remain in Spanish City in Aftermath of Invasion
Doctor Charged in Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme That Allegedly ‘Exploited Elderly Patients’ and Taxpayers
Keeping Strait of Hormuz toll-free is paramount concern for international bodies as Iran-Oman negotiations drag
Trump signs executive orders targeting birthright citizenship, birth tourism after Supreme Court setback
Missouri neighbor accused of killing mother and teen daughter after confronting family over dispute
Foreign drunk drivers could face swift boot out of country under Trump’s ‘America first’ crackdown
WATCH: Dashcam captures the split second a routine Tennessee traffic stop goes sideways
Fauci’s Nightmare Worsens – Guess Who Just Got a Copy of His COVID-Era Phone?
Trump allies push to arm president with new tariff weapon to punish countries ‘ripping off’ America
Reporter’s Notebook: Summer ends, but the Senate’s fall crunch begins
Iran authorities say they have recovered the audio and data recorders from the flight, but say they won’t allow Boeing or U.S. aviation officials access to the black boxes.
The Iranian explanation immediately drew skepticism from some aviation experts.
“That is the wreckage of an explosion in the air,” she said. “Something happened to blow that plane out of the air. Statistically speaking, that’s a missile or a bomb.”
