Protesters call for Supreme Leader to resign as Iran finally admits to downing airliner

Angry citizens have taken to the streets of Tehran calling for Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei to quit after the Iranian regime finally admitted to mistakenly shooting down a passenger plane.

The confession comes after days of repeatedly denying any involvement in Wednesday morning’s destruction of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752, killing all 176 people on board.

What started off as candlelight vigils for the 82 Iranian passengers who lost their lives in the crash quickly escalated into a violent protest, with participants chanting ‘death to liars’ and ‘death to the Islamic Republic’.

Armed paramilitary police were allegedly sneaked into the middle of the crowd in ambulances while officers fired tear gas into the hoards of people.

This afternoon at Sharif University, protesters said: ‘Our enemy is right here; They lie when they say it’s the US’.

The crowd demanded the public trials of those responsible for the disaster, which killed four Britons, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.

The Iranian government initially claimed an engine fire could have caused the Boeing Boeing 737 to lose control and crash just outside of Tehran before finally admitting to shooting it down with a surface to air missile.

This week the Islamic Republic refused to hand over the black box to the plane’s manufacturer and the USA, claiming it had been damaged and had lost some of its data.

Iran insisted it would carry out an investigation into the crash itself, while western leaders including Boris Johnson called for a ‘full, transparent investigation’.

Bulldozers were spotted at the crash-site, fuelling fears the regime was trying to cover-up or destroy crucial evidence.

The disaster came amid escalating tension in the Persian Gulf after US President Donald Trump ordered a fatal drone strike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last week in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

US officials claimed he was behind a series of ‘proxy wars’ in the Middle East and orchestrated militia attacks on US-coalition bases in Iraq.

Iran fired missiles at army bases in Iraq were both US and UK troops were stationed, although both Number 10 and the White House said there had been no casualties incurred.

Today a military statement said the plane was mistaken for a ‘hostile target’ after it turned towards a ‘sensitive military centre’ of the Revolutionary Guard shortly after taking off from Tehran.

It said forces were at their ‘highest level of readiness’ tensions with the US, and therefore fired the missile ‘because of human error and in an unintentional way’.

Protesters at Amirkabir University shouted ‘Down with the dictator’ and called for the country’s Revolutionary Guard to ‘let the country go’.

Shahin Gobadi, a spokesman of anti-regime group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) says the demonstrations have ‘burst the propaganda balloon of the republic.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘Protesters chanted ‘Soleimani is a murderer, his leader (Ali Khamenei), is also a murderer,’ and tore down Soleimani’s pictures.

‘The reports by the MEK network in Iran from protests today showed the true sentiments of Iranians and once again clearly proved that Iran is a powder Keg and the Iranian people will not stop until the regime change.

‘Following the November anti-regime protests in 191 cities throughout Iran that the regime killed more than 1500 protesters and arrested 12,000, the tide has shifted against the regime in its entirety.’

Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who is also the country’s commander-in-chief, offered condolences to those whose loved ones were on the downed flight and called for a probe into military ‘shortcomings’.

In a statement released today Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.

‘My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences,’

He called for the incident to be ‘thoroughly investigated’ and said those behind the error will be ‘identified and prosecuted’.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif still blamed ‘US adventurism’ for the incident as he sent apologies to grieving families.