TEHRAN – In the face of mounting evidence, Iran on Saturday acknowledged that it shot down the Ukrainian jetliner by accident, killing all 176 people aboard.
Iran had promised harsh revenge after Soleimani's death, but instead of killing American soldiers, its forces downed a civilian plane in which most passengers were Iranian.
On Saturday night, hundreds gathered at universities in Tehran to protest the government's late acknowledgement of the plane being shot down.
Zelenskiy said the crash investigation should continue and the “perpetrators” should be brought to justice.
Iran has invited Ukraine, Canada, the United States and France to take part in the investigation of the crash, in keeping with international norms.