Iran plane crash: Pompeo does not rule out mechanical failure

He said this in an exclusive interview with Fox News, commenting on statements by U.S., Canadian and British officials who said earlier Thursday that it was "highly likely" that the UIA plane had been struck by an Iranian missile.

"I’ve seen the reporting. I can only say that we need to get to the bottom of this very, very quickly," Pompeo said, adding that a mechanical failure could have caused the crash.

He added that "the American people should know that this would have been Iranian malfeasance that caused it."

As reported, a Ukraine International Airlines plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on Wednesday, January 8.

There were 176 people on board the aircraft - 167 passengers (including two Ukrainians) and nine crew (all Ukrainians). Most of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash in Tehran are citizens of Iran (82) and Canada (63). Those killed in the crash also include ten Swedes, four citizens of Afghanistan, three Germans, and three Britons.

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