Boeing represented in Iran investigation into Ukrainian plane crash: Official

Iran says American aircraft manufacturer Boeing will be represented in an investigation into the crash of a passenger plane made by the company and operated by an Ukrainian airline which took place on January 8 near Tehran.

A senior official of Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAO.IRI) said on Thursday that all parties involved in the crash, which left all 176 people onboard killed, will be represented in the ongoing probe.

Hassan Rezayifar said countries whose nationals were among the victims of the crash, as well as the manufacturer and operator of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, should be lawfully represented in the investigation.

“In addition to Ukraine, Sweden and Canada have introduced their advisors and the plane manufacturer has also introduced its legal representative to the CAO.IRI,” Rezayifar told IRIB News.

The comments come amid rumors suggesting that Iran is blocking any participation by the US in the investigations into the incident for the Ukraine International Airlines flight, which was en route to Kiev from Tehran when one of its engines reportedly caught fire before it crashed just outside the Iranian capital.

Iran dismisses speculations Ukrainian flight taken down by missile

Iran dismisses speculations suggesting that a Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran on Wednesday was brought down by a missile.

The incident came hours after Iran fired dozens of missiles on US military bases in neighboring Iraq to respond to a US military attack in the Arab country last week which killed a top Iranian commander.

However, Western intelligence estimates have rejected claims that the civilian aircraft was downed by an Iranian-fired missile. Iranian authorities have also ruled out any such possibility while insisting that they would get to the bottom of the incident to make the causes known to the world.

Most of the passengers travelling onboard the plane were Iranians or Iranian-Canadians who were returning to Canada for study or work after spending the winter holidays in Iran.

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