Ukraine President to speak to Mike Pompeo about Iran plane crash probe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would speak to United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on January 10 in the wake of claims that Tehran had shot down the Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people. Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after takeoff in Iran on January 7, the same day Iran fired multiple missiles on Iraqi military bases housing US troops. However, the victims of the crash included 11 Ukrainians along with 63 Canadians. 

American, Canadian, and British officials have said that their intelligence sources indicate that it is 'highly likely' that Iran shot down the jetliner after being 'mistakenly identified' as a threat. Ukrainian President posted on Facebook that 'the version of a missile is not ruled out, but it has not yet been confirmed'. Zelensky further repeated his country's request to be sent all information needed to conduct a thorough investigation and further added that he would talk to Pompeo later on Friday. 

Zelensky said, “Our goal is to establish the undeniable truth. The value of human life is above all political motives." 

Iranian agency quoted its foreign ministry spokesperson saying that Iran has invited both Ukraine and the Boeing company to participate in the investigations'. The spokesperson, Abbas Mousavi, also said it will also welcome experts from other countries whose citizens died in the crash. The secretary of Ukraine's national security and defence council, Oleksiy Danilov earlier had said that investigators were pursuing several leads following the crash in Tehran including a strike with a surface-to-air missile like a Russian-made Tor, a collision with a drone, engine failure or an act of terror. 

Read - Ukraine President Calls For An End To Speculation Over Tehran Plane Crash

US joins probe into plane crash

The US National Transportation Safety Board said on January 9 that it will join the probe into Ukrainian Boeing airliner crash in Iran which killed 176 people. The US-made Boeing 737 went down just minutes after takeoff from Tehran and shortly after Iran had fired multiple missiles at Iraqi military bases housing US troops. NTSB said that it had received a 'formal notification' from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of the Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran. 

Read - Iran Invites Boeing, Ukraine To Join Probe Into Plane Crash That Killed 176

Under the rules by United Nations aviation organisation, the United States is entitled to participate in the probe as Boeing jetliner was designed and built in the US. However, there have been no immediate comments from Boeing.  Trudeau, whose country lost its 63 citizens in the crash, said, 'we have intelligence from multiple sources including our allies and our own intelligence.' He further added, 'The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile'. The UK PM Boris Johnson and Australian PM Scott Morrison offered similar statements. Morrison also said that it appeared to be a mistake. 

Read - Crash May Be Grim Echo Of US Downing Of Iran Flight In 1988

Read - US To Join Investigation Into Ukraine Plane Crash

(With PTI inputs)