Europe Asia News

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei described the 1988 downing of an Iran Air passenger aircraft by a US warship as "one of the most heinous crimes" and commemorated the 290 people who lost their lives.

Recalling the military aspects of the incident and the civilian casualties, Baqaei said: "Today marks the anniversary of one of the most heinous crimes committed by the United States against the Iranian nation. On July 1, 1988, Iran Air Flight 655, traveling from Tehran to Dubai, was shot down over the Persian Gulf by two missiles fired from the US warship USS Vincennes, killing all 290 people on board, including 66 innocent children."

Criticizing the actions taken by the US administration following the attack, Baqaei stated: "It is a dark irony that the commander of this warship received the Medal of Honor from the US government for committing this crime!"

Reaffirming Tehran's determination to preserve the memory of the tragedy, Baqaei concluded: "We honor the memory of the martyrs of the Iranian passenger aircraft and will never forget the unforgivable crime committed by the US government of that time."