On July 3, 1988, carrying 274 passengers and 16 crew members, the Airbus A-300 had just taken off from the southern Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas and was climbing inside an internationally recognized route to Dubai when it was targeted by two Standard missiles fired from USS Vincennes.
The great leader of the Muslim world in several messages criticized the world arrogant power for committing crimes against the Iranian passenger plane.
In a historic message Imam Khomeini emphasized to confront all world arrogant powers who violate the basic rights of the oppressed people and nations of the world.
Iran this year marks the 26th anniversary of the killing of 290 people in a US missile cruiser’s attack on an Iranian passenger plane in 1988.
Iranians hold gatherings and meetings each year to commemorate the victims. The meeting is usually attended by masses and high-ranking Iranian Army and Air Force officials.
The captain of the US warship made a terrible choice to order firing missiles at the civilian aircraft.
Following the incident, US officials claimed their warship mistook the jetliner for an attacking Iranian F-14 fighter plane. The allegation was made as highly sophisticated radar systems and electronic battle gear had been mounted on the warship.
Senior Iranian civilian and military officials have strongly condemned the negligence and lies of the US captain, saying Washington should have formally apologized to the Iranian nation, to say the least.
The groups of Iranians also gather at the site of the incident each year in the Persian Gulf and throw flowers into water in memory of their relatives killed on board of the airplane.