TEHRAN, January 11. /TASS/. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has pledged to complete the investigation of the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 plane near Tehran and prosecute those responsible for it, according to a respective statement made on Saturday after Iranian Armed Forces’ General Staff said that the plane was shot down due to human error.

"This painful accident is not something that can be easily overlooked. Further investigation is needed to identify all the causes and roots of this tragedy and prosecute the perpetrators of this unforgivable mistake," President was quoted as saying by press service. "It is also necessary to adopt the required arrangements and measures to address the weaknesses of the country's defense systems to make sure such a disaster is never repeated," Rouhani noted.

He added that Iran is "deeply sorry by this disastrous mistake." "I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this tragic incident on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran," President said.

On January 8, a plane operated by Ukraine International Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. According to the data provided by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko, 176 people were killed in the crash. They were citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK.

On Saturday morning, ISNA News Agency released a statement made by Iran’s General Staff, which said that a Ukraine International Airlines plane had been shot down due to human error. According to the statement, the plane had flown in close proximity to one of the most important military facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).