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Trudeau speaks with Trump on shared concerns over Iran, plane crash

Ottawa - 63 Canadians died in Iran plane crash.

By IANS

Published: Thu 9 Jan 2020, 9:43 AM

Last updated: Thu 9 Jan 2020, 11:50 AM

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump, according to the Canadian Prime Minister Office.

The two leaders discussed the need for a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the Ukrainian plane crash, which killed 176 people including 63 Canadians early Wednesday.
Also watch: Horrifying video of plane crash surfaces

They exchanged views on the situation in Iraq and next steps with respect to Iran and shared concerns for the safety of armed forces and diplomatic personnel serving in the region, and the limited impact of the Iranian missile attack on US bases in Iraq on Tuesday after US airstrike killed an Iranian general last Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

They discussed the need for de-escalation and emphasized the importance of continuing support for stability in Iraq and the ongoing fight against Daesh, said the office.
63 Canadians died in Iran plane crash
Trudeau confirmed Wednesday that dozens of Canadians died when a Ukraine International Airlines jetliner crashed outside Iran's capital shortly after takeoff.

In a statement, Trudeau said Wednesday morning's crash claimed the lives of all 176 people on board, including 63 Canadians, Efe news reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said 138 of the passengers on a Ukrainian jet that crashed in Iran, killing all on board, were connecting to Canada and offered his condolences on behalf of the nation https://t.co/A0bqg5lQy2 pic.twitter.com/usUTijdSYp
- Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2020

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie (Trudeau's wife) and I offer our deepest condolences to those who have lost family, friends and loved ones in this tragedy," he wrote.

The prime minister also said Ottawa will make every effort to ensure that the crash of the Boeing 737-800 jet is thoroughly investigated.

Despite heightened tensions between the United States and Iran following the January 3 assassination of a prominent Iranian general in a US airstrike in Baghdad and retaliatory missile attacks Wednesday by Tehran on military bases in Iraq housing American forces, Chicago-based Boeing released a brief statement offering to help with the investigation.

"This is a tragic event and our heartfelt thoughts are with the crew, passengers and their families. We are in contact with our airline customer and stand by them in this difficult time. We are ready to assist in any way needed," the company said.

The 737-800 is the predecessor to Boeing's 737 MAX, a model that remains grounded worldwide after a pair of deadly crashes.

Iranian authorities, however, already have said they will not provide the plane's black boxes to Boeing or the United States and that the crash will be jointly investigated by Iran and Ukraine.

Prior to Trudeau's statement, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said on Twitter that "many Canadians" were among the 176 people - 167 passengers and nine crew members - killed in the crash of UIA Flight 752 from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport to Kiev.

Ukrainian authorities said that, in addition to the 63 Canadians on board, 82 Iranians, 11 Ukrainians (two passengers and nine crew members), 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons were killed in the crash.

Toronto-based daily The Globe and Mail said many of the Canadians who died were Iranian-Canadian students returning to school at the end of their winter break.

Flight 752 crashed shortly after takeoff for reasons that remain unknown.

Although Ukrainian authorities initially blamed engine failure for the crash, Kiev later deleted that statement and said the cause of the air disaster is under investigation.