Trudeau and Johnson say they have intelligence Iran shot down Ukrainian airliner

TOPSHOT - Rescue teams work at the scene 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. - All 176 people on board a Ukrainian passenger plane were killed when it crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, Iranian state media reported. State news agency IRNA said 167 passengers and nine crew members were on board the aircraft operated by Ukraine International Airlines. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada and Britain’s leaders said Thursday that they have intelligence a Ukrainian airliner was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.

“This may have been unintentional,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference in Ottawa.

“There is now a body of information that the flight was shot down by an Iranian Surface to Air Missile. This may well have been unintentional. We are working closely with Canada and our international partners and there now needs to be a full, transparent investigation,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

“The UK continues to call on all sides urgently to deescalate to reduce tensions in the region,” the statement added.

Trudeau has called for a thorough investigation into what caused the crash but would not provide additional details about the evidence and intelligence he cited.

CNN reported earlier Thursday that the US increasingly believes Iran mistakenly shot down the airliner, according to multiple US officials. The working theory is based on continuing analysis of data from satellites, radar and electronic data collected routinely by US military and intelligence.

A US official familiar with the intelligence said the plane was shot down by two Russian made SA-15 surface to air missiles. The US saw Iranian radar signals lock onto the jetliner, before it was shot down.

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