text: Immediately after Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 took off from Imam Khomenei Airport on Wednesday morning — hours after Iran attacked two Iraqi bases with US personnel, in retaliation for the US assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimaini — a missile exploded near the Boeing 737 jet, downing it outside Tehran.
  Iranian officials quickly said the cause was engine failure. Three days later, the military and President Hassan Rouhani said “human error” was to blame, with an air defense crew mistaking the jet for a cruise missile.
  Protesters gathered outside Amir Kabir University in Tehran, chanting “Down with the liars” and “Resignation is not enough. Prosecution is necessary.” The demonstrations spread throughout the weekend, with criticism of the Supreme Leader as well as senior officials.
  A Government spokesman claimed on Monday that President Hassan Rouhani and other officials were not aware of the cause of the crash until Friday evening, when they were given the findings of an investigation by the military.
  Ali Rabaei did not explain why, given the firing of missiles by air defense on Wednesday, the military waited two days to inform Rouhani.
  The regime tried on Monday to shift blame to Washington, with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, proclaiming, “As long as the US terrorist forces are present in the West Asian region, this region will not achieve lasting stability, peace, and security.”