Matt Frei presses pro-Iran professor about Ukrainian plane crash

11 January 2020, 12:17

Matt Frei challenged an Iranian professor who claimed last week that his country are not responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian plane.

Iran has admitted that its forces unintentionally shot down the plane, killing 176 people.

Matt pressed Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi from Tehran University on his original claims, but the academic insisted the main people at fault is the US.

The LBC presenter asked: "What is your personal reaction to the fact that this plane was shot down by an Iranian missile, because I spoke to you a couple of days ago and when I put that theory to you, you said it was nonsense."

Professor Marandi insisted: "I never said it was nonsense, I said I didn't know. I never said it wasn't shot down.

"But Western leaders, what they are doing is trying to score points, instead of looking at the reality of the situation."

Matt asked him again for his take, as an Iranian citizen, on the fact Iran were to blame for the plane crash, but again the professor wouldn't give a straight answer.

He said: "The Canadian Prime Minister is trying to score points. The British Prime Minister is trying to score points.

"We all know that the reality is that Trump spoke a few months ago about obliterating Iran."

Matt asked again for a proper answer to the question - and then again.

Watch the exchange at the top of the page.