Iran will hand over data from the black box and voice recorder of the crashed Ukrainian airliner to foreign experts, including those from the US government, the country’s ambassador to London said.

“Absolutely, we have said we want a clear and transparent solution to this tragedy, and the experts will be given the information necessary from the voice recorder and the black box,” insisted Hamid Baeidinejad, one of Iran’s most senior diplomats.

The US has now said it will share intelligence with the Ukrainians about the plane they allege was shot down.

The ambassador denied categorically that the Boeing aircraft destroyed with 176 people on board was brought down by an Iranian missile. He was adamant that no missile had been fired at the plane.

He said: “The radars can tell between a missile, a fighter plane and a passenger plane, so it would have been clear that this was not a missile or a fighter plane.”

Mr Baeidinejad criticised foreign governments, including the UK, which had said there were strong indications that the airliner may have been brought down by military action.

Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Show all 18 1 /18 Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran People stand near the wreckage after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran ISNA/AFP via Getty Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran People and rescue teams are pictured amid bodies and debris All 176 people on board a Ukrainian passenger plane were killed when it crashed shortly after taking off, Iranian state media reported ISNA/AFP via Getty Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran One of the engines State news agency IRNA said 167 passengers and nine crew members were on board the aircraft operated by Ukraine International Airlines Iran Press via Reuters Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue teams work at the scene AFP via Getty Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Passengers' belongings West Asia News Agency via Reuters Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Members of the International Red Crescent collect bodies of victims EPA Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue teams work amidst debris AFP via Getty Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran A relative of a victim reacts at Boryspil International Airport, outside Kiev Reuters Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue workers search the scene where a Ukrainian plane crashed in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane with more than 170 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi AP Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran TOPSHOT - People and rescue teams are pictured amid the wreckage after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in the Iranian capital Tehran early in the morning on January 8, 2020, killing everyone on board. - The Boeing 737 had left Tehran's international airport bound for Kiev, semi-official news agency ISNA said, adding that 10 ambulances were sent to the crash site. (Photo by Rouhollah VAHDATI / ISNA / AFP) (Photo by ROUHOLLAH VAHDATI/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images) ROUHOLLAH VAHDATI ISNA/AFP via Getty Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue workers carry the body of a victim of an Ukrainian plane crash in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi AP Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Part of the wreckage Iran Press via Reuters Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Debris of a plane belonging to Ukraine International Airlines, that crashed after taking off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, is seen on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY WANA NEWS AGENCY West Asia News Agency via Reuters Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue workers search the scene where an Ukrainian plane crashed in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi AP Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Rescue team work at the scene where an Ukrainian plane crashed in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi AP Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran CORRECTS YEAR - Debris is seen from a plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehranâ€™s main airport, killing all onboard, state TV reported. (AP Photos/Mohammad Nasiri) Mohammad Nasiri AP Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Officials inspect the wreckage EPA Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing 737 comes down near Tehran Debris is seen from an Ukrainian plane which crashed as rescue workers search the scene in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. A Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi AP

“One should not make judgements before all the facts are known,” he said.

“I am disappointed that some countries including the UK, which do not have hard evidence, without access to the black box, the voice recordings, air plane wreckage and the technical engineers reports in Tehran airport, are rushing to judgement. That only adds to the anxiety of the families.

“Plane accidents are a very technical issue. I cannot judge, you cannot judge, reporters on the ground cannot judge. Nobody can judge. A foreign minister or a prime minister cannot judge on this issue.”

Boris Johnson, the prime minister, has said there was “a body of information that the flight was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile”, adding that it could have been an accident.

Asked a question on reports that the Iranian authorities had refused to share the information from the black box with foreign experts, the ambassador said: “absolutely not”, reiterating that all relevant information would be handed over.

“I’m sure that everything will be provided so that experts can make a proper judgement,” he said.

The ambassador wanted to stress that the missiles fired at the base with US soldiers in Iraq had taken place many hours before the airliner crashed.

Wednesday’s attack on the American bases, which left no causalities, came in retaliation for the US killing of Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani.

The ambassador said the plane had only taken off five minutes before it came down and had reached an altitude of 8,000 feet. It had requested going up to 20,000 feet and this was granted, “so why should a missile be fired [at the plane]?”, he said.

Mr Baeidinejad said reports that the Iranian authorities had used bulldozers at the crash site and that evidence had been removed or destroyed were “absolutely absurd”.