Aviation experts say Iran was irresponsible when it closed airspace, resulting in the accidental shooting of a Ukrainian plane that killed 176 people.

"The Iranian sky was very hot then. Everyone was nervous due to high alert status, mixed with anxiety and confusion. Yet they still opened the airspace, allowing commercial aircraft to take off from the yard. flying in the capital Tehran. I think it's unbelievably irresponsible, "said General James Marks, a former US Army intelligence officer, today.

David Soucie, former inspector of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), expressed his agreement and said that the pilots did not know they were flying into the war zone. "It is a completely irresponsible act of authority," he added.

The remarks came after Iran admitted to accidentally shooting down the flight number PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) on January 8, killing all 176 people aboard. The Iranian military said the soldiers mistook the aircraft as a "hostile target" due to its shape, altitude, and the sudden turn of the aircraft towards a military base.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called this a "great tragedy", promising to prosecute those responsible. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also expressed "deeply regret" and apologized to the people of Iran, the families of the victims and the affected countries.

The incident comes hours after the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) launched missiles at two bases in Iraq, where US forces are stationed, in response to an air strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani, commander. IRGC's Quds task force.

US intelligence officials said the weapon used to shoot Ukrainian aircraft is a Russian-made Tor-M1 air defense missile. Experts say that Iranian air defense mistakenly shot a Ukrainian plane due to stress, time pressure and high alert status after the US air base raid.