An Iranian general said officials lied about shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet to defend national security

Iran Press/Handout via REUTERS

• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a general in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, sought to justify lying about whether Iran shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight 752.
• In a TV address Wednesday, he said had Iran immediately told the truth, its air defense network would have been left "crippled."
• A Revolutionary Guard Corps missile shot down flight 752 on January 8. It took until January 11 for Iran to admit what really happened.
• At first, Iranian officials apologized unreservedly for the crash. But in the days since, some have sought to justify the action, or shift the blame.
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An Iranian general defended his government's decision to lie for days about whether it shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing 176 people.

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, whose troops oversaw the missile system that shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, said that Iran covered it up to defend national security.

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