عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Iran Prosecutor Says 10 Indicted for 2020 Plane Shootdown

General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran. (File photo: Reuters)
General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran. (File photo: Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Iran Prosecutor Says 10 Indicted for 2020 Plane Shootdown

General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran. (File photo: Reuters)
General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran. (File photo: Reuters)

Iranian media are quoting the outgoing military prosecutor of Tehran as saying that 10 officials have been indicted for the 2020 shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane.

Tehran military prosecutor Gholamabbas Torki made the comment Tuesday while handing over his office to Nasser Seraj.

The semiofficial ISNA news agency and the Iranian judiciary's Mizan new agency both reported the remarks, without elaborating.

Following three days of denial in January 2020 in the face of mounting evidence, Iran finally acknowledged that its forces mistakenly downed the Ukrainian jetliner with two surface-to-air missiles. All 176 people aboard the plane were killed.

In preliminary reports on the disaster last year, Iranian authorities blamed an air defense operator who they said mistook the Boeing 737-800 for an American cruise missile, The Associated Press reported.

The shootdown happened the same day Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on US troops in Iraq in retaliation for an American drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.

Most Viewed

 
World

Israel Ultra-Orthodox Party Threatens Government over Draft Law

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
TT
20
TT

Israel Ultra-Orthodox Party Threatens Government over Draft Law

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)

Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas party on Monday threatened to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government by backing a motion for early elections amid a row over military service.

Netanyahu's coalition, one of the most right-wing in Israel's history, is at risk of collapsing over a bill that could reverse the long-standing exemption from the draft for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The exemption is facing growing pushback as Israel wages war on the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu is under pressure from within his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on draft dodgers -- a red line for Shas.

The party is demanding legislation to permanently exempt its followers from military service and gave Netanyahu two days to find a solution.

"We don't want to bring down a right-wing government, but we've reached our limit," Shas spokesperson Asher Medina told public radio.

"If there's no last-minute solution (on conscription), we'll vote to dissolve the Knesset," he said, referring to the Israeli parliament.

Last week, a Shas source told AFP the party was threatening to quit the coalition unless a solution was reached by Monday.

The opposition is seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt to topple the government.

Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, includes Likud, far-right factions and ultra-Orthodox parties. A walkout by the latter would end its majority.

A poll published in March by right-wing daily Israel Hayom found 85 percent of Israeli Jews support changing the conscription law for Haredim.

Forty-one percent backed compulsory military service -- currently 32 months for men -- for all eligible members of the community.