Iran missile shot down Ukraine-bound Boeing airliner, officials say

An Iranian surface-to-air missile brought down a passenger plane bound for Kyiv, Ukraine, shortly after takeoff from Tehran this week, killing all 176 people on board, officials from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. said Thursday, citing new intelligence. “This may well have been unintentional,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference, urging the Iranian government to ensure a “thorough investigation” of the crash.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed Wednesday morning, after Iran had launched missile attacks on bases in Iraq that house U.S. and coalition forces, prompting the theory that it was struck by a stray missile, a theory that U.S. and Canadian government officials on Thursday said was likely, based on new information. Sixty-three Canadians were among the victims in the crash of the flight, which lost contact with air traffic controllers five minutes after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Fraught relations between the U.S. and Iran could also complicate the U.S. government’s willingness to send personnel to the country. The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday evening said it appointed a designee for the process, but it wasn’t immediately clear when the person or team would be able to travel. Some airlines in Europe called off flights to Iran in the wake of the crash.