
The Iranian missile operator who shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing 176, opened fire because his communications jammed and he thought he had only seconds to take out an incoming cruise missile, a Revolutionary Guards commander has said.

Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, the Guards' aerospace commander, said on Saturday the operator had mistaken the Boeing 737 for a U.S. cruise missile responding to Iranian ballistic missile attacks, and only had ten seconds to decide whether or not to open fire.

'I wish I had died, and I wouldn't have seen such an incident,' Hajizadeh said somberly at a press conference. He claimed that a 'request had been made to clear the sky from civil flights at that time, but it did not happen due to reservations.'

For days, Iran vehemently denied that it was responsible for downing Flight 752 from Tehran to Kyiv on January 8, accusing the U.S. of spreading malicious propaganda and lies for suggesting such a scenario.

On Saturday night, furious protests broke out across Tehran demanding the resignation of the Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei over the spectacular blunder and cover-up. At least 130 Iranian citizens were killed in the incident.

Hajizadeh claimed that the country's top military leaders were not initially aware that their own air defense system had shot the plan down, leading to confusion. Now the country has come clean, but still blames 'US adventurism' for the fatal 'error'.

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'I wish I had died, and I wouldn't have seen such an incident,' said a somber Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, the Guards' aerospace commander, at a press conference. Iran admitted that it shot down Flight 752, thinking the plane was a missile

Hajizadeh displays a diagram showing how the air defense operator believed the civilian flight was a cruise missile inbound for a key Revolutionary Guards base, and fired on it when he was unable to reach headquarters after comms jammed

Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737-800 plane wreckage is seen in a picture from investigation team released today

Part of a missile is seen at the crash site. The debris of the Boeing 737 was removed from the crash site near Tehran before Ukrainian investigators arrived, sparking fears of a cover-up. An object, said to be the Ukrainian jetliner flying in sky at the moment of explosion, was also seen (right)

People pay tribute near portraits of crew members of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 at Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday, after Iran acknowledged

Relatives of one of the flight crew members of the Ukrainian 737-800 plane that crashed on the outskirts of Tehran, stand at a memorial inside Borispil international airport outside Kyiv on Saturday

‹ Slide me › Satellite images show the crash site before and after the crash that killed 176 people

'The delay in releasing information was not aimed at hiding the issue but it is the routine drill that the General Staff should study the case (first); and all information was collected on Friday morning after studies and what had happened became clear then,' Hajizadeh said.

On Saturday night in Tehran, angry crowds gathered chanting 'death to liars' and calling for the country's supreme leader to step down over the tragic military blunder, video from the scene shows.

What began as mournful vigils for Iranian lives lost on the flight quickly turned to outrage and protest against the regime, and riot police quickly responded with tear gas in an attempt to break up the protests.

Flight 752 was carrying 176 people, at least 130 of them Iranian citizens, when it was shot down. There were no survivors.

Iran for days claimed that a technical failure caused the crash, before admitting on Saturday that its own surface-to-air missiles brought the plane down.

Iran was on high alert at the time, hours after launching ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq in a strike that caused no casualties. That missile strike was in retaliation for a U.S. operation that killed powerful Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

Iranians protest against the government after a vigil held for the victims of Flight 752 turned into an anti-government protest outside Amirkabir University in Tehran, Iran

Iranians shout slogans against the government after a vigil held for the victims of the airplane of Ukrainian International Airlines that crashed near Imam Khomeini Airport turned into an anti-government protest outside Amirkabir University

The regime quickly cracked down on the protests with tear gas and water cannons

On Saturday afternoon, candlelight vigils at universities in Tehran for the victims of Flight 752 began to turn to protests against the regime.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani extended condolences to the families of those killed in the incident, and promised that those responsible would be prosecuted.

'The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake... My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences,' Rouhani said in a statement on Saturday.

He said that 'the terrible catastrophe should be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible for this unforgivable mistake will definitely be identified and prosecuted'.

A military statement published by the country's state TV said it mistook the aircraft for an enemy target and 'unintentionally' fired at the plane on Tuesday, killing 176.

Iran's foreign minister blamed 'US adventurism'

Officials said the plane 'took the flying posture and altitude of an enemy target' as it neared the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps base and soldiers did not recognize it as a passenger airliner.

The statement read: 'Under these circumstances, because of human error, [the plane] came under fire.'

But the country's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said 'US adventurism' was to blame for Iran shooting down the plane, a week after an American drone killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.

Zarif wrote: 'A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.

'Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.'

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei also offered condolences to the families, as he called for an investigation and ordered the military to address 'shortcomings' on Saturday morning.

Video of the crash show the Boeing 737 flying through the night sky when it suddenly explodes into flames before falling to the ground several feet below

Pictured: an official inspects a piece of plane debris in Tehran, Iran, the morning after the Ukrainian passenger plane was 'unintentionally' shot down

Iran had denied for several days that two missiles downed the aircraft. But then the U.S. and Canada, citing intelligence, said they believe Iran shot down the aircraft. The crash site has since been cleared

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed French specialists would help decode the black boxes of the plane, Zelenskiy's office said today.

Macron told Zelenskiy in a telephone call France had started a formal procedure to launch an international investigation into the crash, Zelenskiy's office said in a statement, adding that Macron had agreed to visit Kiev.

The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces.

Iran denied for several days two of its missiles downed the aircraft, but the US and Canada said they believed Iran shot it amid mounting tensions with the US.

Ali Rabiei, an Iranian government spokesman previously said the claim Iran fired at the plane was a 'big lie' and the accusations were 'psychological warfare' against Tehran.

He said in a statement: 'The United States is making the pain of the families worse.

'It is unfortunate that the psychological operation of the US government and those supporting it are adding insult to the injury of the bereaved families and victimising them for certain goals by propagating such fallacies.

'No one will assume responsibility for such a big lie once it is known that the claim had been fraudulent.'

Officials also pushed back against the Western account, saying the plane would have exploded if it was truly hit by a missile.

The wreckage of the Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737-800 was littered with holes (pictured) in new photographs

Pictured: Emergency crews and rescuers stand near a massive piece of place debris on Wednesday

Holes are seen in the Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737-800 plane wreckage in a picture from investigation team released today

Loved ones gathered at The University of Windsor on Saturday to attend a memorial service dedicated to five students among 63 Canadians, who died in the Ukraine International Airlines flight crash

Among the large number of deceased Canadians, 82 Iranians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons died when the Ukrainian passenger plane was downed by two missiles

Iran officials had instead pushed the idea the plane suffered a technical malfunction mid-air, which caused it to crash.

The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization said: 'The plane, which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone, turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash.

'The plane disappeared from radar screens the moment it reached 8,000 feet. The pilot sent no radio message about the unusual circumstances.

'According to eyewitnesses, a fire was seen on board the plane which grew in intensity.'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani publicly addressed the revelation on Twitter, saying an internal investigation has found the missiles were launched and the country regrets the 'disastrous mistake.'

'Armed Forces' internal investigation has now concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people. Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake,' he wrote.

'The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences.'

A rescue worker at the site shows photographs which were recovered at the crash site

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that American lives were possibly saved after it issued a notice barring U.S. civilian planes from flying over Iran and Iraq. Rescue workers at the site recovered the bodies of victims on Wednesday (above)

Ukraine International Airlines President Yevhenii Dykhne said on Saturday he never doubted that the airline had not caused the crash of its passenger plane in Iran.

Eleven Ukrainians, including nine crew members, died in the plane crash that killed 176 people on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian government figures.

Dykhne wrote a statement on social media after Iran said it had mistakenly shot down the plane.

It said: 'We didn't doubt for a second that our crew and our plane couldn't be the cause for this horrible plane crash.

'These were our best guys and girls. The best.'

It comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday doubled down on the intelligence information that pointed towards missiles being fired.

'We do believe that it's likely that the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile,' Pompeo said during a White House briefing announcing new sanctions against Iran.

'We're going to let the investigation play out before we make a final determination. It's important that we get to the bottom of it.'

Pompeo was the first US official to publicly confirm the intelligence judgments.

Bodies of the victims are laid out in body bags as the crash site is cleared

Rescue workers and emergency crews searched the crash site where Ukrainian jet was accidentally shot down by the Iranian military after mistaking the aircraft for a hostile target

Bulldozers clean up debris at the crash site on Wednesday, just hours after the Ukraine International Airlines jet came down

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement on Twitter following the recent revelations, calling the incident a 'national tragedy' and calling the Iranian government to cooperate.

'Tonight, Iran acknowledged that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by its own armed forces,' he said.

'Our focus remains closure, accountability, transparency, and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims. This is a national tragedy, and all Canadians are mourning together. We will continue working with our partners around the world to ensure a complete and thorough investigation, and the Canadian government expects full cooperation from Iranian authorities.'

Trudeau called for a full investigation into the matter 'to be convinced beyond all doubt.'

He said: 'We recognize that this may have been done accidentally. The evidence suggests very clearly a possible and probable cause for the crash.'

Justin Trudeau revealed in a tweet that he met with the Minister of National Defense, Harjit Sajjan, and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne, to discuss the latest on investigation developments

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement following Iran's admission, saying: 'We will continue working with our partners around the world to ensure a complete and thorough investigation, and the Canadian government expects full cooperation from Iranian authorities'

Before Iran's admission, Trudeau revealed he met with the Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne to discuss the latest on investigation developments.

A memorial service was held at The University of Windsor on Saturday to honor five students who were among the 63 Canadians killed.

The Federal Aviation Administration also revealed on Friday American lives were possibly saved after it issued a notice barring US civilian planes from flying over Iran and Iraq.

The FAA confirmed to DailyMail.com it published a 'notice to airmen' (NOTAM) warning of potential hazards along the flight routes in the area just three hours before the plane was shot down.

'Our NOTAMs were published roughly three hours before the accident,' a spokesperson for the FAA told Washington Free Beacon.

The notice specified 'flight restrictions that prohibit US civil aviation operators from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

'The FAA will continue closely monitoring events in the Middle East,' the NOTAM said.

'We continue coordinating with our national security partners and sharing information with US air carriers and foreign civil aviation authorities.'

When the FAA was asked if the order saved American lives, an official from the agency said it would not 'speculate on what effect [the notice] might have had'.

But one senior congressional official who is familiar with airlines issues said that the order 'may well have saved American lives'.

'Iran is not a normal country, and they regularly act in reckless and unprofessional ways,' said the congressional source.

'The FAA showed vigilance and competence in publishing the NOTAMs when they did, and they may well have saved American lives.'

The FAA's ban remains in effect.

Iran cleared up the crash site where the passenger jet came down and, before admitting its responsibility on Friday, said it wanted to handle the black box data itself.

Bulldozers have been operating at the crash site before Ukrainian investigators even arrived - sparking fears of an Iranian cover-up

A large piece of debris is towed away by a bulldozer, with the crash site now unsupervised and left open to scavengers

Iranian authorities said they recovered the crashed plane's black box, or flight recorder, from the scene, but the devices sustained a level of damage because of the incident

The general was the architect of Iran's shadow warfare and military expansion in the Middle East

The debris of the Boeing 737 has been removed from the crash site near Tehran before Ukrainian investigators even arrived, sparking fears of an alleged cover-up.

Iranian officials initially denied the debris had been bulldozed despite several instances of photographic evidence.

Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to Britain, called the notion 'absolutely absurd'.

Authorities in Iran said they recovered the plane's flight recorder, known as a black box, from the crash scene but they sustained damage from the crash and fire.

There was a possibility pertinent information stored electronically in them had been lost, but investigators could access some useful data from the impaired devices.

Ukraine was granted access to the black box, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Friday.

Tehran says it is 'opening' the flight recorders today but has indicated it will not allow the US government to analyze their contents.

Washington and its allies believe that the plane was shot down by two Iranian missiles which were launched just minutes after the airliner took off.

It was feared that Iranian forces may have mistaken the passenger plane for a military jet, hours after Iran launched missile strikes on US bases in Iraq.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who normally sides with President Trump, announced earlier Thursday that he planned to vote alongside the Democrats

President Trump encouraged all House Republicans to vote against the Democrats War Powers Resolution in an a.m. tweet

Tensions between Iran and the US flared after an airstrike killed Qassem Soleimani, a top military leader in Iran, outside the Baghdad International Airport on January 3.

Trump said in a press conference Soleimani was killed to prevent a war, adding that the commander was plotting 'imminent and sinister' attacks against Americans.

'We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,' the president said in brief remarks at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to 224-194 to limit President Trump's ability to wage war with Iran.

The vote on the War Powers Resolution saw Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and top Trump ally, voting with the Democrats.

'If our service members have the courage to fight and die in these wars, Congress ought to have the courage to vote for or against them. I'm voting for this resolution,' Gaetz said.

Trump had encouraged House Republicans to vote against it.

'Hope that all House Republicans will vote against Crazy Nancy Pelosi's War Powers Resolution. Also, remember her 'speed & rush' in getting the Impeachment Hoax voted on & done. Well, she never sent the Articles to the Senate. Just another Democrat fraud. Presidential Harassment!,' the president tweeted.

On Wednesday, on the heels of a Congressional briefing on the president's decision to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Pelosi announced that the vote would come Thursday.

'The House will move forward with a War Powers Resolution to limit the president's military actions regarding Iran,' Pelosi said.

The speaker also left the door open for future resolutions, including one that would repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force, and one that wouldn't allow any money to fund military actions in Iran not authorized by Congress.