Congress: Tehran Stonewalled Ukrainian Plane Crash Investigation

Rescue teams work amidst debris after a Ukrainian plane crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran. (AFP)
Rescue teams work amidst debris after a Ukrainian plane crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran. (AFP)
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Congress: Tehran Stonewalled Ukrainian Plane Crash Investigation

Rescue teams work amidst debris after a Ukrainian plane crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran. (AFP)
Rescue teams work amidst debris after a Ukrainian plane crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran. (AFP)

US Congresswoman Claudia Tenney confirmed that Iran has stonewalled the investigation in the 2020 Ukrainian plane crash.

“Iran stonewalled the investigation and has not taken any real steps to deliver justice to the families impacted. Join me in urging US Envoy to Iran to put this issue on his agenda,” she said in a tweet.

Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down shortly after take-off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on aboard. Most were Iranians, British, and Canadians.

After days of ambiguity and stalling, Iran admitted that a group from the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has mistaken the plane for a missile.

Tehran says Revolutionary Guards accidentally shot down the Boeing 737 jet, blaming the jet crash on a misaligned radar and an error by the air defense operator.

In a final report in March, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) pointed to the missile strikes and the "alertness" of its troops on the ground amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States at the time.

Iran's judiciary said a trial had opened in Tehran for 10 minor military members in connection with the jet's downing.

Meanwhile, families of the victims gathered Saturday at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport, from where the Ukrainian airliner crashed shortly after takeoff, to demand justice.

They chanted slogans against officials in Tehran and described them as corrupt.

“Compensation Can Never Replace Justice,” the families said, insisting that perpetrators be bought to an impartial court.

They held up pictures of their loved ones, laid flowers and lit candles in their memory, while calling for "Justice! Truth!", videos shared on social media showed.

State television separately published an interview with the mother of Zahra Hassani Saadi, who died in the crash, in which she questioned the authorities' handling of the case.

"We have several questions, who will answer us? Why wasn't the flight cancelled? Why was the cruise missile fired? We don't know and no one explained it to us," she asked.



US Official: US Plans $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel

A young Palestinian stands amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 3, 2025, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
A young Palestinian stands amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 3, 2025, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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US Official: US Plans $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel

A young Palestinian stands amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 3, 2025, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
A young Palestinian stands amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 3, 2025, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

The administration of President Joe Biden has notified Congress of a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel, a US official said on Friday, with Washington maintaining support for its ally whose war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands.
The deal would need approval from the House of Representatives and Senate committees and includes munitions for fighter jets and attack helicopters as well as artillery shells, Axios reported earlier. The package also includes small-diameter bombs and warheads, according to Axios.
The State Department did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Protesters have for months demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but US policy has largely remained unchanged. In August, the United States approved the sale of $20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.
The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Facing international criticism, Washington has stood by Israel during its assault on Gaza that has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population, caused a hunger crisis and led to genocide accusations that Israel denies.
The Gaza health ministry puts the death toll at over 45,000 people, with many additional feared buried under rubble.
Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to end the 15-month-old Israeli war in Gaza.