The aerospace commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday accepted full responsibility for the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet that killed all 176 people on board.
“I take full responsibility and I will obey whatever decision is taken,” Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said in remarks broadcast on state television.
“I would prefer to die rather than witness such an incident.”
EXPLOSION
Hajizadeh also explained that a missile that was fired at a Ukrainian passenger jet exploded next to the plane before it went down.
“It was a short-range missile that exploded next to the plane. That’s why the plane was able” to continue flying for a while, he said in remarks aired on state TV.
“It exploded when it hit the ground.”
“JAMMING”
Hajizadeh further said the missile operator opened fire independently because of communications “jamming”.
The operator had mistaken the Boeing 737 for a “cruise missile” and only had 10 seconds to decide whether or not to open fire, he said.