Tehran: US must apologize for 'previous crimes' against Iran, regional 'crisis' led to airliner disaster

RT
Wed, 15 Jan 2020 08:27 UTC

© Global Look Press/Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz

Debris of Boeing 737 Ukranian passenger plane at crash site

The United States should acknowledge its past crimes against Iran, Tehran has said, adding that Washington has fueled instability in the Middle East.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lashed out at the US during a televised speech on Wednesday, calling on Washington to make amends for its actions in the region.

His comments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a security conference in New Delhi that the Islamic Republic is not interested in negotiating with the US.

US President Donald Trump has proposed a "Trump deal" to replace the largely defunct 2015 nuclear accord, but Zarif argued that anything Washington proposed would likely fall short of the previous agreement. Tehran has urged the US to return to the original accord.

The foreign minister also said the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian airliner near Tehran was the result of the "crisis," and that measures must be taken to ensure that similar military standoffs are avoided in the future.

Zarif repeated Tehran's claim that the fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) suffered a major setback when the US assassinated Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at several Iraqi bases housing US troops.

Comment: Apologizing is not a forté of the US, nor of its cadre of 'partners' around the globe. Trump's offer of a new deal may be all Iran will get. Unfortunately, recent events, hubris and political folly have poisoned the well for any upcoming negotiations at the expense of many lives and global stability. Meanwhile, Israel is pleased.

RT: 14/1/2020: Iran makes arrests for downing of Ukrainian airliner

Arrests have been made in connection with the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran, Iran's judiciary has announced, following President Hassan Rouhani's call for a special probe into the deadly accident.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told Iranian state media on Tuesday that individuals had been detained as part of "extensive investigations" into the incident. He did not disclose how many people had been arrested.

Earlier, Rouhani said in a speech that a special court should be established to try the case. He noted that "the entire the world will be watching this court" and vowed that responsible parties would be brought to justice.

Iran's president also called the Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) admission that it shot down the plane a "first good step" towards ensuring the matter is properly dealt with.

Tehran admitted that Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 was mistaken for a projectile and shot down near the Imam Khomeini airport, killing all 176 people on board.

Iran's military claims that it never sought to cover up its mistake and had immediately informed authorities about the incident, but that this information was withheld from the public pending further investigation into the matter.