Ukrainian jet that crashed in Tehran 'WAS hit by an Iranian missile in what was likely an accident, Pentagon and US intelligence officials say'
- CCTV shows the burning plane lighting up a street before exploding in a fireball
- Separate footage from a car appears to confirm the plane was already on fire
- The Boeing jet suffered a fault in mid-air and tried to turn back, investigators say
- Iranian officials say the crew did not send a radio message to report the danger
- Ukraine is sending missile experts to look for evidence of a possible shoot-down
- The plane disappeared from radar screens at 8,000 feet and crashed into a field
- All 176 people on board were killed, including three Britons and 73 Canadians
The Ukrainian Airlines flight which crashed in Tehran killing 176 people on Wednesday was shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile system, Pentagon officials have said.
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was struck by a Russia-built Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile system, three security officials told Newsweek.
Two of the officials said the aircraft was likely targeted by mistake by Iranian missile systems that were active on Wednesday night as Iran launched rockets at two US basis in Iraq, waiting for a possible counter-strike.
New footage shows the moment a burning Ukrainian passenger jet exploded into pieces yesterday - as Iran said the plane was trying to turn back after a technical fault but Ukraine sent missile specialists to inspect the wreckage.
The CCTV footage shows the burning jet plane lighting up a dark street as it approaches before it explodes in a huge fireball.
The explosion sends flaming debris from the Boeing 737 flying in all directions in a crash which killed all 176 people on board.
Iranian television broadcast the footage today, while a separate 28-second clip taken from the front seat of a car appeared to confirm that the plane was already ablaze when it dropped out of the sky from 8,000 feet.
Iran says the plane had suffered a technical fault, caught fire and started to head back to Tehran, but the crew did not make a radio call to raise the alarm.
An initial Iranian report described the crash as an 'accident', although the black boxes have been damaged and parts of their memory lost.
Nonetheless, Ukraine is continuing to probe a possible shoot-down and has sent a team of missile specialists to Iran to examine whether a Russian-made weapon could have brought down the plane.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today vowed to find the 'truth' as he declared a day of national mourning after the crash.
All 167 passengers and nine crew were killed in the crash, including three Britons and 63 Canadians.
The crash came just hours after Iran fired missiles at US bases in revenge for the death of Qassem Soleimani, sparking fresh fears in the tense Middle East.
However, the Iranian investigators are insisting that the plane suffered a technical fault unrelated to the tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Witnesses on the ground and on board a nearby aircraft saw a fire 'growing in intensity' before the Ukrainian International Airlines jet came down, they say.
'The plane, which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone, turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash,' the Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation says.
'The plane disappeared from radar screens the moment it reached 8,000 feet. The pilot sent no radio message about the unusual circumstances.