Evidence Suggests Iranian Missiles Caused Tehran Plane Crash, Pentagon Says

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 is believed to have been hit by fire from a Russian-built Tor M-1 (SA-15) surface-to-air missile system operated by the Iranian military, according to multiple reports.

Pentagon officials told Newsweek that the incident was probably an accident, as anti-aircraft systems were likely active at the time of the suspected shoot down. The Pentagon could not confirm the report for Insider.

The Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday was accidentally shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile, western security officials believe.

UK sources told the Guardian that British officials had seen intelligence that suggested that the plane was hit by an Iranian air defence missile.

Western intelligence agencies are understood to have picked up signals of the missile launch, followed by the traces of an explosion. A British source said: “The assessment is that it looks like it is a tragic accident.” One report suggested...