Iran's Gharibabadi: 3 July reminder of crime in which American took 290 lives

Iran's Gharibabadi: 3 July reminder of crime in which American took 290 lives

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X that "July 3rd is a reminder of the crime in which America took the lives of 290 innocent people, including 66 children”.

“This crime will never be erased from the memory of the Iranian nation. The second crime began after the shooting down of the plane: denying responsibility, failing to issue an official apology, and awarding a medal to the commander of the criminal ship,” Gharibabadi said.

Iran Air Flight 655 was en route from Bandar Abbas to Dubai on 3 July 1988 when it was shot down over the Persian Gulf by the USS Vincennes.

The United States said the aircraft had been mistaken for an attacking military jet, but never issued a formal apology, maintaining that the crew acted in self-defence.

In 1996, Washington agreed to pay compensation to the victims' families as part of a settlement at the International Court of Justice without admitting legal liability.

In another tweet, Gharibabadi said that “alongside commemorating the martyrs of Flight 655, the Iranian nation honours the memory and name of its martyred mujahid Imam.”

“The martyrdom of Imam Khamenei, the immensely dignified Leader of the Revolution, serves for Iranians as a symbol of the continuity and depth of America's enmity toward the Iranian nation, and also as an enduring symbol of their steadfastness and resistance against American enmity.”