Iran acknowledged on Saturday morning, Swedish time, that on Wednesday they shot down the Ukrainian aircraft where 17 passengers resident in Sweden were aboard. Both the country's president Hassan Rouhani and the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have offered their condolences to those affected.

“Here in Sweden and all over the world, people mourn the victims of the air crash outside Tehran on January 8. I feel strongly with all those who lost a loved one, ”writes Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in a statement.

"Iran has assumed responsibility for the aircraft being shot down. Iran has indicated that the aircraft was accidentally shot down. This statement provides the basis for the thorough and transparent investigation that must clarify all the circumstances surrounding the crash, ”Löfven writes.

"Must be condemned"

The Swedish government demands that Iran cooperate without restriction in the ongoing investigation.

"I look very seriously at the message that Iran has now left. That the plane was shot down is terrible and horrifying. That a civil aircraft was shot down - whether accidentally or not - is an act that must be condemned and that Iran must take full responsibility for in relation to those affected as well, "the prime minister said, according to the statement.

Group formed

Sweden is in close contact with the other countries whose citizens were killed in the crash and yesterday, at the Foreign Minister level, a group (International coordination and response group for victims of PS 752) was formed together with these countries, said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in the statement.

"I will ensure that the group has urgent contact in light of the message from Iran. We also have EU support for our demands for a full investigation and for Iran to cooperate in this ”.