Russia urges Iran and US to wind down tensions

Russia's acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Iran and United States to wind down tensions after Iranian forces accidentally downed a Ukrainian passenger jet. He said the tragedy was a serious red flag and a signal that everyone should start working on de-escalation. He criticised Washington for killing Major General Qasem Soleimani of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

         

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defended the country's armed forces after it admitted shooting down the plane by



mistake. He described the crash as a bitter tragedy and claimed that Iran's enemies used the crash and the military's admission to weaken the Revolutionary Guard.

On the other hand, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that Ukraine wants Iran to issue a formal document admitting its guilt.

The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing was travelling to Kyiv from Tehran on 8 January and crashed shortly after take-off. All 176 passengers on board were killed.