Report: Iran admitted dropping the Ukrainian plane only after Rouhani threatened to resign

According to a New York Times report, the affair ended only after the president threatened to step down and cause a bigger storm. The plane was accidentally shot down by Revolutionary Guards, who fired two missiles at him, killing all 176 of its passengers

Report: Iran admitted dropping the Ukrainian plane only after Rouhani threatened to resign

Iran admitted dropping the Ukrainian plane only after President Hassan Rouhani threatened to resign - the New York Times reported on Sunday. The regime denied for three days that it was responsible for the disaster, in which all 176 passengers perished, until the Revolutionary Guards took responsibility for accidental missile fire at the plane that took off from Tehran to Kiev.

The report comes as part of an extensive New York Times investigation, titled "Anatomy of Lies," explaining how Tehran tried to hide the incident, which occurred hours after launching missiles at US targets in Iraq in response to the assassination of General Qassim Suleimani. The regime would excuse it on high alert, fearing American revenge.

USA: Suleimani's successor expects a similar fate if he continues on his path

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, January 14, 2020 (Photo: AP)

According to the New York Times, as a Revolutionary Guards officer he thought he had detected an unidentified aircraft near Tehran International Airport, he had a few seconds to decide whether to launch the missiles. He tried to reach the command center to get a permit for launches, but failed to do so. He nevertheless decided to launch one anti-aircraft missile, then another.

After the Ukrainian plane became a fireball and crashed, Revolutionary Guards officials tried to whitewash the disaster. They did not even update Rouhani and his government, who publicly denied the plane had been shot down and claimed to be experiencing a technical malfunction. After he was finally updated with the information, he reportedly offered them an ultimatum - reveal what happened, otherwise he would resign. Only then, 72 hours later, did Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei come into the picture, ordering the government to admit what had happened.

Remains of the plane crashed on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

The investigation was based on talks with Iranian diplomats, current and past government officials, factors in the Revolutionary Guards and close to Khamenei, as well as official statements and reports in Iran's official media.

It reveals the internal confrontation in the regime, between the elected government and the strongest military organization in Islamic Repulivka, that will affect the ongoing investigation and compensation negotiations for the victims' families, some of them from Canada and other countries. The whitewash attempt at dropping the plane ignited spontaneous demonstrations in the days that followed, but these did not mature beyond that.