Iran
An image grab from a video released by state-run Iran Press news agency on July 24, 2020, reportedly shows a passenger with blood dripping on his face, on an Iranian passenger plane after it was intercepted by a US F-15 while flying over Syria. Photo: handout/Iran Press/AFP
prev
next
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iranian officials slammed a United States maneuver in Syrian skies that saw a US fighter jet intercept an Iranian passenger flight, causing the pilot to take emergency action that resulted in minor injuries among the passengers.
“U.S. illegally occupies territory of another State and then harasses a scheduled civil airliner – endangering innocent civilian passengers – ostensibly to protect its occupation forces,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Friday. “Audacity to compound lawlessness upon lawlessness. These outlaws must be stopped before disaster.”
Iranian state TV late on Thursday aired video filmed onboard a Mahan Air flight traveling from Tehran to Beirut. At least one fighter jet could be seen flying alongside the plane and passengers were heard screaming as the pilot rapidly dropped altitude. One passenger with a bloodied face could be seen in other footage broadcast by IRIB.
The US military said the fighter jet remained at a safe distance during a routine mission over at at-Tanf military base of the global coalition against Islamic State in southern Syria.
“A U.S. F-15 on a routine air mission in the vicinity of the CJTF-OIR [Coalition] At Tanf garrison in Syria conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 meters from the airliner this evening,” read a statement on Thursday from Capt. Bill Urban, spokesperson for US Central Command.
“The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at At Tanf garrison. Once the F-15 pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened distance from the aircraft. The professional intercept was conducted in accordance with international standards,” the statement continued.
Iran has lodged a formal protest with the International Civil Aviation Organization and its ambassador the United Nations Majid Takht-e Ravanchi has talked with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, IRNA news reported.
According to a statement from Mahan Air, the two US fighter jets were involved in the incident. The airline said the pilot reduced altitude in accordance with aviation regulations. This caused some injuries among the passengers and crew who were brought to hospital in Beirut. Mahan Air added that the flight was a scheduled route.
This is the latest incident between foes Iran and the United States since Washington withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 and began a “maximum pressure” campaign of punishing sanctions to try and force Iran to negotiate a new deal.
“U.S. illegally occupies territory of another State and then harasses a scheduled civil airliner – endangering innocent civilian passengers – ostensibly to protect its occupation forces,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Friday. “Audacity to compound lawlessness upon lawlessness. These outlaws must be stopped before disaster.”
Iranian state TV late on Thursday aired video filmed onboard a Mahan Air flight traveling from Tehran to Beirut. At least one fighter jet could be seen flying alongside the plane and passengers were heard screaming as the pilot rapidly dropped altitude. One passenger with a bloodied face could be seen in other footage broadcast by IRIB.
The US military said the fighter jet remained at a safe distance during a routine mission over at at-Tanf military base of the global coalition against Islamic State in southern Syria.
“A U.S. F-15 on a routine air mission in the vicinity of the CJTF-OIR [Coalition] At Tanf garrison in Syria conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 meters from the airliner this evening,” read a statement on Thursday from Capt. Bill Urban, spokesperson for US Central Command.
“The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at At Tanf garrison. Once the F-15 pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened distance from the aircraft. The professional intercept was conducted in accordance with international standards,” the statement continued.
Iran has lodged a formal protest with the International Civil Aviation Organization and its ambassador the United Nations Majid Takht-e Ravanchi has talked with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, IRNA news reported.
According to a statement from Mahan Air, the two US fighter jets were involved in the incident. The airline said the pilot reduced altitude in accordance with aviation regulations. This caused some injuries among the passengers and crew who were brought to hospital in Beirut. Mahan Air added that the flight was a scheduled route.
This is the latest incident between foes Iran and the United States since Washington withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 and began a “maximum pressure” campaign of punishing sanctions to try and force Iran to negotiate a new deal.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment