'We will not rest until we get answers': Foreign ministers press Iran for answers on how plane carrying 176 was shot down

Ministers from five countries who lost citizens when a passenger jet was shot down over Tehran have called on Iran to accept “full responsibility” and compensate the victims’ families.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab joined his counterparts from Canada, Ukraine, Sweden and Afghanistan for a meeting of the International Coordination and Response Group at Canada House in central London on Thursday.

A statement issued by the ministers following the meeting outlined five key elements they said would “guide our engagement” with the Iranian authorities.

This included ensuring “Iran assumes full responsibility for the downing of flight PS752 and recognises its duties towards the families of the victims and other parties – including compensation”.

They called for a “thorough, independent and transparent international investigation” into the crash, open to “grieving nations” and governed by the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

They also demanded “accountability” for those responsible for downing the plane, through an “independent criminal investigation followed by transparent and impartial judicial proceedings”.

The five countries also called for “full and unhindered access” for their officials in Iran to provide consular services and that the identification and repatriation of victims was handled with “dignity” and according to the wishes of their families.

Present at the meeting with Mr Raab were Canada’s minister of foreign affairs Francois-Philippe Champagne, Ann Linde, Sweden’s minister of foreign affairs, Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs and Idrees Zaman, acting foreign minister for Afghanistan.

Stef Blok, minister of foreign affairs for the Netherlands, also attended.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr Champagne offered ministers’ “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families and loved ones.

“We are here to pursue closure, accountability, transparency and justice for the victims,” he added.

Mr Champagne said the “horrific tragedy” had produced “many, many questions” and “families want answers”.

“The world is waiting for those answers and we will not rest until we get them,” he said.

Earlier, the foreign ministers took part in a solemn candle lighting ceremony at Canada House in memory of the crash victims.

All 176 people, including four British nationals, on board the Ukrainian International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kyiv were killed when the plane came down moments after take-off last week.

The majority of the plane crash victims were Iranians or Iranian-Canadians.

British citizens Sam Zokaei, Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi and Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda Zadeh were identified as among the dead.

After initially denying claims it was responsible, Iran has since admitted unintentionally shooting down the aircraft.

Mr Champagne said that to ensure the quality and standard of the investigation, the grieving nations were calling for international experts to participate “in all aspects” of the probe, including identification of remains.

He said: “Today is the day for answers.

“I think if you were to talk to the families of the victims and their loved ones what they have is grief and anger and they want us to stand for them, like we are doing today to seek truth and justice.

“I would think today is not the day to assign blame. It is a day for us to work together to ensure they would have answers.”

He said the Iranian government has accepted full responsibility which comes with consequences “and that is what we will be pursuing.”

Mr Champagne described Iran’s acceptance of full responsibility as “a good first step” but said there are still various issues, including compensation, that need to be resolved.

He said the investigation will clarify who committed the tragedy and how it was able to happen. The world expects “full cooperation” in every aspect of consular services, in terms of identification of the remains, in the investigation and in the prosecution of those responsible.

On Iran’s enrichment of uranium, Britain’s foreign minister Andrew Murison said: “We want to keep the JCPOA alive.”

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme.

He said that “we need to resolve this dispute” adding that he wants Iran to “come back into JCPOA so that we can get back on track”.

Mr Champagne warned that the “international community is watching” Iran’s actions in light of claims it is enriching uranium.

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