US Ready to Offer Ukraine All Possible Assistance After Plane Crash in Iran - Pompeo

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is extending an offer of assistance to Ukraine after Ukrainian International Airlines (UIA) flight 752 crashed outside Tehran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The US Department of State extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the 176 passengers and crew killed in the tragic crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752," Pompeo said. "The United States will continue to follow this incident closely and stands prepared to offer Ukraine all possible assistance. The United States calls for complete cooperation with any investigation into the cause of the crash."

Early on 8 January, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737-800 flight PS752 bound for Kiev, Ukraine crashed minutes after taking off from Tehran's Khomeini Airport. It was carrying 167 passengers and nine crewmembers.

Flight PS752 crashed on the same night as the Iranian military conducted missile strikes on US military facilities in Iraq in retaliation for the murder of its high-ranking General Qasem Soleimani. However, no official statements have indicated whether the two events are linked in some way.