Iran says black boxes from doomed Ukrainian flight were damaged, some memory lost - Fox News

Iranian investigators on Thursday said the black boxes that belonged to the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s international airport have been damaged and some parts of their memory were lost.

The crash of the Ukraine International Airlines flight that was bound for Kiev Wednesday raised concerns about Iran's transparency during the investigation. Iran blamed mechanical failure, but some have speculated that Tehran's earlier missile assault on Iraqi bases housing American troops played a role.

All 176 people on board the flight died.

The plane’s black boxes were found amid the wreckage not far from Imam Khomeini International Airport but Iran is refusing to turn them over to Boeing or the National Transportation Safety Board.

IRAN REFUSES TO HAND OVER AIRLINER'S BLACK BOX: REPORT

"We will not give the black box to the manufacturer and the Americans,” Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said, according to BBC News.

Investigators haven’t given a reason for the crash that brought down the Boeing-737 but said the pilot was attempting to steer the plane back toward the airport just before the crash.

"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,” Abedzadeh said, according to BBC News.

The plane exploded on impact, potentially because it was loaded with fuel for the international flight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent investigators to assist and said, “the priority for Ukraine is to identify the causes of the plane crash … We will surely find out the truth.”

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘APPEARS TO BE STANDING DOWN,’ MISSILE STRIKES RESULTED IN NO CASUALTIES

So far, there is no evidence to suggest the plane was intentionally downed.

Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the NTSB, said considering an attack should be “at the top of [investigators'] agenda,” The New York Times reported.

Ukraine’s Iranian embassy initially blamed mechanical issues but later removed their statement. They also initially ruled out terrorism or a rocket attack before backing off on that assessment.

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The Ukraine International Airlines flight, bound for Kiev, was carrying 82 Iranians, at least 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians – nine of which were crew members – 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British citizens, according to Ukraine’s foreign minister.

There has been some back and forth about the nationalities of those on board likely because some passengers had dual citizenship and Germany has claimed they're not aware of any German citizens who were on the plane.

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2020-01-09 08:30:45Z
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Woman had premonition her plane would crash in Iran, husband says. She called him 20 minutes before takeoff - CNN

She'd taken three weeks off from her job in Toronto to visit her mother and sisters in Tehran. Her vacation was over, and she was heading back to Canada to her husband, Hassan Shadkhoo. Her flight was leaving from Tehran to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev early Wednesday.

"I spoke to her ... 20 minutes before the plane took off," he said Wednesday night in Toronto. She was worried about the tensions between Tehran and the United States after President Donald Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian general last week.

"She wanted me to assure her that there wasn't going to be a war. I told her not to worry. Nothing's gonna happen," her husband told CNN's news partner CBC. "She said, 'OK. They're telling me to turn off my phone. Goodbye.' That was it."

The Kiev-bound Ukraine International Airlines flight never made it to its destination. It crashed in Tehran minutes after takeoff, killing all 176 people aboard, including Sheyda Shadkhoo and 62 other Canadians.

Hassan Shadkhoo said his wife had a premonition the plane was going down, and was worried about the people she was leaving behind. She posted a selfie on Instagram expressing her fears before she left Iran.

"She knew. Look at her face, look at the poem that she wrote," he said as he held up his phone to show the photo she posted. Then he read the words she wrote, his voice breaking.

"I'm leaving but ... what's behind me worries me," he read. "Behind me, behind me. I'm scared for the people behind me."

Hassan Shadkhoo said he's devastated and can't imagine life without his wife of 10 years. He was on his way to see his wife's relatives in Tehran on Wednesday night.

"She was an angel," he told CBC. " ... I wish I didn't exist right now."

There are conflicting reports on what caused the plane crash, and Iranian and Ukrainian officials have said they're not going to speculate.

The crash came hours after Iran fired a number of missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for the general's killing, sparking questions over the timing of the incident.

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2020-01-09 08:16:00Z
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Victims of Iran plane crash hailed from around the world - CNN

They included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals, according to a tweet from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko.

Among those known to have perished in the disaster was Mehdi Eshaghian, who had previously studied at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.

Eshaghian's school friend Ali Mazaheri told CNN that he had moved to Canada in 2018 to embark on a postgraduate degree, but had been back to Iran to visit family.

Speaking soon after news of the crash broke, Mazaheri told CNN: "We are all sad. I was crying from the morning. He was going to be 25 in a week. He was kind, humble, caring."

The pair had been friends for about a decade since meeting in their second year at Safi High School in Ishafan, where he still lives, Mazaheri said.

Eshaghian had embarked on a masters degree at McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC) in September 2018, according to his friend. "He then changed his program to PhD on his teacher's advice," Mazaheri said. "He was happy in Canada."

A tweet from Sharif University suggested that a further 12 former students were among the dead, but their identities are yet to be confirmed.

A spokesperson for the airline told a press conference that the plane was last checked on January 6 and there have been no complaints previously in relation to the jet.

Yevhenii Dykhne, president of Ukraine International Airlines, said in a press conference at Kiev airport that most of the dead passengers were in transit to Ukraine to connect to further flights, he said.

A spokesman for the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the plane crash in Iran overnight. We are urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board and will do all we can to support any families affected."

Some of the dead were apparently students at the Sharif University of Technology Association in Tehran. Siamak Aram, a board member of SUTA, told CNN: "Yes, unfortunately at least 14 Sharif Alumni died."

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said: "The Federal Foreign Office and our Embassy in Tehran are in close contact with the relevant authorities to determine whether there were German citizens aboard the aircraft."

The country's foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic crash of flight #PS752 that was headed from Tehran to Kyiv. At this difficult time, our thoughts go out to the friends & families of the victims."

Meanwhile a spokesman for Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) urged worried relatives to get in touch. He told CNN: "A number of Swedes have lost their lives in the aircraft crash in Iran. We are now working intensively to obtain clarity about the number of Swedes who have died."

The spokesman said it is doing this "onsite in Iran, through our embassy and at the MFA in Stockholm."

He added: "The MFA has decided to activate its crisis management organization until further notice. We urge worried relatives to call the MFA on +46 8 405 92 00. We urge Swedes in Iran to contact their relatives."

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2020-01-08 13:59:00Z
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Victims of Iran plane crash hailed from around the world - CNN

They included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals, according to a tweet from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko.

Among those known to have perished in the disaster was Mehdi Eshaghian, who had previously studied at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.

Eshaghian's school friend Ali Mazaheri told CNN that he had moved to Canada in 2018 to embark on a postgraduate degree, but had been back to Iran to visit family.

Speaking soon after news of the crash broke, Mazaheri told CNN: "We are all sad. I was crying from the morning. He was going to be 25 in a week. He was kind, humble, caring."

The pair had been friends for about a decade since meeting in their second year at Safi High School in Ishafan, where he still lives, Mazaheri said.

Eshaghian had embarked on a masters degree at McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC) in September 2018, according to his friend. "He then changed his program to PhD on his teacher's advice," Mazaheri said. "He was happy in Canada."

A tweet from Sharif University suggested that a further 12 former students were among the dead, but their identities are yet to be confirmed.

A spokesperson for the airline told a press conference that the plane was last checked on January 6 and there have been no complaints previously in relation to the jet.

Yevhenii Dykhne, president of Ukraine International Airlines, said in a press conference at Kiev airport that most of the dead passengers were in transit to Ukraine to connect to further flights, he said.

A spokesman for the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the plane crash in Iran overnight. We are urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board and will do all we can to support any families affected."

Some of the dead were apparently students at the Sharif University of Technology Association in Tehran. Siamak Aram, a board member of SUTA, told CNN: "Yes, unfortunately at least 14 Sharif Alumni died."

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said: "The Federal Foreign Office and our Embassy in Tehran are in close contact with the relevant authorities to determine whether there were German citizens aboard the aircraft."

The country's foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic crash of flight #PS752 that was headed from Tehran to Kyiv. At this difficult time, our thoughts go out to the friends & families of the victims."

Meanwhile a spokesman for Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) urged worried relatives to get in touch. He told CNN: "A number of Swedes have lost their lives in the aircraft crash in Iran. We are now working intensively to obtain clarity about the number of Swedes who have died."

The spokesman said it is doing this "onsite in Iran, through our embassy and at the MFA in Stockholm."

He added: "The MFA has decided to activate its crisis management organization until further notice. We urge worried relatives to call the MFA on +46 8 405 92 00. We urge Swedes in Iran to contact their relatives."

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2020-01-08 13:20:00Z
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Iran's strikes seem intended to avoid US deaths. Here's why that might be the case - CNN

Iran will have known that US troops are normally asleep in the early hours of the morning, and the chances of inflicting casualties are lower.

It will also have known the US has a strong air defense that would likely have been on high alert. Tehran should have a grasp of how well its missiles would fare against such technology.

The missile attacks don't make sense if Tehran's goal was to really hurt US troops in large numbers -- as some had been pledging to do.

They do make sense, however, as the execution of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's order to strike back openly against US military targets in response to the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

Khamenei's instruction was confusing when first reported, as the US would be bound to prevail in a straight military-to-military conflict. Was the Supreme Leader ordering an empty show of force?

The dust is still settling, and even at the best of times Iran's motivations can be opaque, but there are three possible explanations for the action.

First, that Khamenei is out of touch with what his military can achieve and overestimated the effectiveness of the strikes, which then failed. This would be surprising given his reported involvement in and knowledge of Iranian military affairs.

Second, that moderation won out, and this largely empty signal -- hitting military targets in the dead of night with a small number of missiles -- provides the off-ramp both sides might ultimately want. This would be logical, given that neither Tehran nor Washington has much to gain from a prolonged fight.

Third, it might be a bid by Iran to give the US a false sense of security -- that Iran is militarily weak and has done its worst -- while an asymmetrical and nastier response is brewed.

That would require a lot of strategic acumen from a government split between hardline and moderate wings, and would mean Tehran was relatively certain no Americans would be hurt in this missile attack.

If the attacks in Iraq are indeed the full scope of Iran's response, they carry another risk: that the Trump administration thinks its ramshackle performance over the past week has paid off, and Iran has been vanquished.

This would risk further irrational action from Washington, perhaps not just against Iran but also other enemies. It would also make Iran look weak, which might embolden Tehran's other regional adversaries.

Iran's response to the killing of Soleimani was always going to be difficult to predict. But -- even if the strikes truly are the entirety of Tehran's revenge -- few would have anticipated something so swift and so openly military-to-military.

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2020-01-08 13:00:00Z
CAIiEG6ic0FRrb14q9gisCOW1JgqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPvTpgU

'All is well,' Trump tweets after Iran targets U.S. forces in missile attack in Iraq - NBC News

“All is well!” and "so far, so good," President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday night after Iran launched ballistic missiles at U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

The president also said he would make a statement Wednesday morning.

“Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!” the president tweeted.

All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020

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Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles that targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

Full coverage of the crisis with Iran

There was no official word whether there had been any casualties. Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance tweeted that all of its deployed armed forces personnel are safe and accounted for after the missile attacks in Iraq.

The strikes come less than a week after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and full coverage of the Iran crisis

"These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region," Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of U.S. Department of Defense for Public Affairs, said in the Pentagon statement.

The Iranian launches come less than a week after the U.S. killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of its Quds Force, in an airstrike in Iraq.

The Pentagon has described that strike, which was conducted at Trump's direction, as a "defensive action" and said that Soleimani "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region."

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, tweeted that Iran “took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense” under Article 51 of the United Nations charter.

"We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," Zarif said in the tweet.

Phil Helsel

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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2020-01-08 12:02:00Z
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Victims of Iran plane crash hailed from around the world - CNN

They included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals, according to a tweet from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko.

A spokesperson for the airline told a press conference that the plane was last checked on January 6 and there have been no complaints previously in relation to the jet.

Yevhenii Dykhne, president of Ukraine International Airlines, said in a press conference at Kiev airport that most of the dead passengers were in transit to Ukraine to connect to further flights, he said.

A spokesman for the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the plane crash in Iran overnight. We are urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board and will do all we can to support any families affected."

Some of the dead were apparently students at the Sharif University of Technology Association in Tehran. Siamak Aram, a board member of SUTA, told CNN: "Yes, unfortunately at least 14 Sharif Alumni died."

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said: "The Federal Foreign Office and our Embassy in Tehran are in close contact with the relevant authorities to determine whether there were German citizens aboard the aircraft."

Meanwhile a spokesman for Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) urged worried relatives to get in touch. He told CNN: "A number of Swedes have lost their lives in the aircraft crash in Iran. We are now working intensively to obtain clarity about the number of Swedes who have died."

The spokesman said it is doing this "onsite in Iran, through our embassy and at the MFA in Stockholm."

He added: "The MFA has decided to activate its crisis management organization until further notice. We urge worried relatives to call the MFA on +46 8 405 92 00. We urge Swedes in Iran to contact their relatives."

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2020-01-08 11:52:00Z
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