BEIRUT _ Iran, in a dramatic reversal, admitted that it had accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner mistaking it for a hostile target.
A statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces said its military was on high alert and "apologizes for the human error." It promised that the "culprits" would be identified and referred to judicial authorities.
The three-year-old Boeing 737-800 crashed Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 aboard. As recently as Friday, Iran denied that it had fired a missile at the plane and accused western governments of "psychological warfare."
The admission on Saturday came as a growing number of western nations, citing unspecified intelligence, said that Iran has shot the jet down.
