Given the timing, I doubt was intentional, but I bet Iran had a hand in it.
Evidence suggests an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, possibly in error, Western leaders say.
The leaders of Canada and the UK called for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board.
Iran has ruled out a missile strike by its air defences.
The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq.
Iran is total evil.
Launching on a commercial airliner on initial climb out from the nation’s capital is certainly a mistake, but not an accident.
What the hell was the pilot thinking of? Unless, there was a news blackout in Tehran, which there wasn’t, why take off under war like conditions?
Tor-M1s are radio command linked all the way to target. Accidental launches can be rendered dumb anytime prior to target. Misidentification of an outbound airliner on a canned departure just off the deck of Tehran’s international airport is a story absolutely nobody is going to buy. The launch was intentional.
And Merlin, how do confuse a slow moving airplane with large wings that is gaining altitude with a missile which is hundreds of mph faster and descending that is pretty straight?
The Iranians have a lot of explaining to do. So far they haven’t said what they thought they were shooting at. One interesting observation is that Tehran’s near air defense system may not share an integrated data link with their ATC system… something their enemies have surely noted.