FM Qureshi hopes tensions to ease after Iran admits plane crash mistake

Pakistan Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said that Iran owning up to its mistake of downing Ukrainian passenger plane would likely ease up tensions in the region.

“Iran’s confession of downing Ukrainian passenger plane should ease up tensions as the region can neither endure tension nor can it tolerate war anymore,” he said.

FM Qureshi reiterated that Pakistan would play an active role to reduce growing tensions in the region.

Also read: Ukraine wants Iran to punish those responsible, pay compensation

"On Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s instructions I am going to visit Iran, and we plan on visiting Saudi Arabia and the United States of America shortly after", he said.

Iran says it unintentionally shot down Ukrainian plane

Iranian armed forces on Saturday admitted that they unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian airliner that crashed this week and blamed "human error" for the mistake.

The plane, which crashed earlier killing all 176 people on board, was mistaken for a "hostile plane" and was hit while enemy threats were at the highest level, according to a press statement published by the official IRNA news agency.

All 176 people on board were killed when the jet crashed on Wednesday, hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top general in an American airstrike.

According to Iranian media, officials said that the plane had flown close to a "sensitive military centre" and was mistaken for a "hostile target". The statement added that the military was at its "highest state of readiness" amid the US tensions.