World demands full account after Iran admits downing Ukraine jet

Paris, Jan 11 (AFP/APP):Iran said Saturday it had unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian airliner that crashed this week outside Tehran killing 176 people, calling it an “unforgivable mistake”.

The statement sparked some relief that at least the immediate cause of the disaster would not be concealed amid international calls for a full accounting and compensation for the victims. Iran has invited the United States, Ukraine, Canada and others to join the crash investigation.

Herewith are some of the remarks made by top leaders in response to the Iranian statement on its responsibility for the crash. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Iran punish those responsible, pay compensation and apologise.

“We expect Iran… to bring the guilty to the courts,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on Facebook, calling for the “payment of compensation” and the return of remains. “We hope the inquiry will be pursued without deliberate delay and without obstruction,” Zelensky added. He also urged “total access” to the full inquiry for 45 Ukrainian experts and in a tweet also sought an “official apology”