Iran TV Anchors Quit After Country Admits To Shooting Down Ukrainian Plane

Two news anchors at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) resigned from their jobs amid the calling for the ouster of current government leaders, following the admission to "unintentionally" shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane.

Zara Khatami and Saba Rad thanked their followers for their unwavering support. “Thank you for your support in all years of my career. I announce that after 21 years working in radio and tv, I cannot continue my work in the media. I cannot,” Rad said, per The Guardian. “Thank you for accepting me as anchor until today. I will never get back to TV. Forgive me,” Khatami stated.

Gelare Jabbari, who quit her job some time ago, also apologized to her followers on social media. On Sunday, the former television presenter asked her supporters to forgive her for several years of promulgating falsehoods and fabricated stories on behalf of the Iranian government.

“It was very hard for me to believe that our people have been killed. Forgive me that I got to know this late. And forgive me for the 13 years I told you lies,” Jabbari wrote on Instagram. However, the media personality’s profile was deactivated just a few hours after the posting. The Iranian government has yet to comment on Jabbari’s claims.

Meanwhile, the Association of Iranian Journalists released an official statement after Zhatami and Rad’s resignation.

“The publication of false information has had a severe impact on public confidence and public opinion, and more than ever shook the media’s shaky position. The situation has become so complex. We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves; and Islamic Republic of Iran state television employees acknowledge that their credibility has been lost. Unaware that the credibility of this media and most of the domestic media had long since vanished,” the statement read. “It should be noted, however, that other media outlets objected to the situation, but the Islamic Republic of Iran’s state television favored it. This incident showed that people cannot trust official data and journalists should try to fill this gap as much as possible.”

To recall, Iran revealed it shot down a passenger jet and killed all 176 people aboard. The incident, per Fox News, happened just hours after the state launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases hosting American troops.

Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif claimed that the incident was a product of a “human error at the time of crisis caused by US adventurism.” President Donald Trump, then, responded and urged Iranian leaders to not murder their protesters.

“To the leaders of Iran - DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching,” Trump said on Twitter. “Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!” he continued.