Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the United States for what it calls serious and gross violations of human rights on the 36th anniversary of the downing of its passenger aircraft by a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser over the Persian Gulf, which resulted in the deaths of 290 people on board.
“On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, which was carrying 290 passengers and crew members, including 46 non-Iranian passengers and 66 minors under the age of 13. Not only did the United States fail to apologize to Iran, but it also awarded the USS Vincennes’ commander a medal,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday.
Following the attack, the plane disintegrated and crashed into the Persian Gulf waters, killing all 290 on board, including 66 children. U.S. officials claimed that the USS Vincennes had mistaken Iran Air Flight 655 for a warplane, despite the warship being equipped with highly sophisticated radar systems and electronic battle gear at the time of the attack.
In 1990, the captain of the cruiser, William C. Rogers, was cleared of any wrongdoing and was even awarded America’s Legion of Merit medal by then President George Bush for his “outstanding service” during operations in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has commemorated the 36th anniversary of the downing of its passenger plane by the U.S. Navy, with the Foreign Ministry condemning the gross violations of human rights by the United States. Tehran accused White House officials of being among the most dishonorable violators of human rights in the world.
“The U.S. has committed gross and organized violations of human rights through unilateralism and the intensification of economic sanctions without authorization from the United Nations, with the intent to force governments to change their policies,” the statement said.
The ministry further condemned Washington's decades-long use of economic sanctions as a tool of pressure on politically independent countries opposed to its international practices. These sanctions have had a significant negative impact on world nations, depriving citizens of their natural and legal rights.
The statement also highlighted the human toll of Washington’s reckless wars, its support for the crimes of the Israeli regime, its support for despotic regimes in suppressing the rights of their peoples, and its disregard for the inalienable rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation to self-determination.
