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نخستین ویدئو از سقوط هواپیمای اوکراینی اطراف شهریار
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was Ukraine's priority to find the cause of the crash, while Canada's Justin Trudeau vowed to said: "Our government will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that … [the crash] is thoroughly investigated, and that Canadians' questions are answered."
63 of the people on board were Canadian citizens, Ukraine's foreign minister said.
But their vows come as speculation mounts over the cause of the crash, and Iranian authorities walking back initial assertions that a technical fault was definitely to blame.
Speculation is rampant as to the cause of the crash, and the investigation might not be totally straightforward
Speculation has mounted as to what caused the crash, and the investigation is already showing signs of political friction.
Iranian authorities said in the hours after the crash that it had been caused by technical problems, dismissing the idea that it could have been caused by a terrorist or military attack.
But Abedzadeh later told the Iranian news outlet Mehr that there was no evidence of technical problems, according to reporting by The New York Times . This was contradicted again by the report.
" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{"https://image.businessinsider.com/5e17027ef442311585685704":{"contentType":"image/jpeg","aspectRatioW":900,"aspectRatioH":599}}" alt="Iran crash" />
Relatives of the victims of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash in the Iranian capital Tehran, react by a memorial at the Boryspil airport outside Kiev on January 8, 2020.
SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images
A spokesperson for Iran's military said the crash was not caused by Iranian military action: "They are spreading propaganda that the Ukrainian flight was targeted. This is ridiculous. Most of the passengers on this flight were our valued young Iranian men and women."
Ukraine's embassy in Tehran initially dismissed the idea of terrorism or a rocket attack soon after the crash, blaming an engine failure instead. That statement was later deleted and replaced by one that said the cause is unknown and is being investigated.
According to Reuters, the embassy said the earlier statement was based on preliminary information but was not official, and that Iranian authorities had asked the embassy to remove it.
Suspicion over what might have caused the crash has been heightened due to the increased tensions in Iran after the US assassinated its top general and Iran subsequently attacked bases housing US troops in Iraq .
Iran attacked two Iraqi military bases that housed US and coalition forces with ballistic missiles hours before the crash on Wednesday, but there is currently no suggestion that the two incidents are linked.
Ukraine said on Thursday that its investigators want to search the crash site for possible missile debris from a Russian missile, Reuters reported.
Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the US' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told The New York Times that: "Investigators should put consideration of an attack."
Zelensky said
that "All possible versions of what occurred must be examined."
Iran, where the crash occurred, must mount an investigation under international law.
But such investigations also typically involve countries where many victims are from — in this case, Ukraine and Canada — as well as the plane's manufacturer.
In this case, political tensions between the US and Iran may prevent the NTSB, which often assists international investigations that involve Boeing, from getting involved.
It said on Wednesday that it is "monitoring the developments" and is working with US agencies to "determine the best course of action."
Boeing, one of the US's biggest companies, may struggle to get involved.
Abedzadeh said that Iran's Civil Aviation Organization would not give the plane's black boxes to the company. He said the initial findings had been sent to the US, alongside other countries.
Sahar Esfandiari contributed reporting to this story