Several passengers were injured after two US fighter jet have conducted aggressive maneuvering closed to an Iranian airliner.
![Several lives in danger as US fighter jet comes close to Iranian Plane Several lives in danger as US fighter jet comes close to Iranian Plane](/files/en/news/2020/7/24/151752_555.jpg)
The incident took place on late Thursday night when Mahan Air’s Flight 1152 had taken off from Tehran and was en route to the Lebanese capital.
Initial reports said two Israeli fighter jets approached a Mahan Air Tehran-Beirut flight over the Syrian sky which makes Capitan of Iranian plane to suddenly change the direction and altitude that brings several injuries.
Western and Israeli media, including Jerusalem Post, gives the responsibility to Israel, but its army denies the reports.
It is noteworthy to mention that in 2018, an accident akin to this happened when Syrian air defenses mistakenly downed a Russian aircraft as Israeli fighter jets hid themselves behind it to use it as their cover. At that time death of 15 Russian servicemen was reported.
Later last night, the captain of Iranian plane declared the pilots of the two fighters have identified themselves as US army pilots through a radio contact.
The reporter from Beirut in a later interview said in this incident three passengers have been wounded just in the initial move.
Subsequently, Mahan Air told FNA that several passengers have been wounded during the incident. Based on this report, those were injured have been taken to a hospital in Beirut and others have evacuated the plane sound and safe.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said in a statement earlier on Friday that the incident is “under investigation” and “Due political and legal measures will be taken upon completion of the information at hand.”
Moreover, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi had spoken to the world body’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asserted that the Islamic Republic would be holding the United States “responsible” should anything happen to the Iranian airliner on its way back home.
He also pinpointed that "A similar message has been sent to the Swiss ambassador to Tehran,". The Swiss embassy hosts the US interests’ section in Iran in absence of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Later, Syrian state news agency (SANA) said the incident happened in the country's sky over the "Al-Tanf border-crossing with Iraq". The US has a main base at Al-Tanf border-crossing which is supported by Ein Al-Assad airbase around 120km into Western Iraq.