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DUBAI — Iran considers the passengers with dual nationality, who were on a Ukrainian plane that was shot down accidentally earlier this month, killing all on board, to be Iranian citizens, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

Many of the 176 who perished in the disaster were Iranians with dual citizenship, which is not recognized by Iran. Canada had 57 citizens on board.

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“We have informed Canada that Tehran considers dual nationals who were killed in the plane crash as Iranian citizens … Iran is mourning their deaths,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a televised weekly news conference.

Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne last Wednesday dismissed the Iranian position on dual nationality as “nonsense.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday the issue had not really come up because the Iranians recognized the importance of the families’ wishes.