MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. Tehran condemns the statements made by the United States and other countries that the Ukraine International Airlines plane was allegedly downed by an Iranian missile, Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabii was quoted by Press TV as saying.
"It is unfortunate but the psychological manipulations by the US government and those who consciously or unconsciously supports them, only add more grief for the people who lost their loved ones," Rabiei said. He added that by promoting their own explanation of the events, the US is pursuing its own goals.
On Thursday, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Ali Abedzadeh also refuted allegations that the Ukrainian plane may have been downed by an Iranian missile.
On January 8, the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 plane en route from Tehran to Kiev crashed shortly after takeoff near Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko, there were 176 people on board, and no one survived. Among them were citizens of Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Canada, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Sweden.