| THE BIG STORY
A Ukrainian Boeing 737 crashed after takeoff in Iran, killing all 176 people on board
The crash took place shortly after the Ukraine International Airlines jet took off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on its way to Kyiv early Wednesday.
Most of the passengers were from Iran or Canada, officials said.
Ukraine's embassy in Tehran initially blamed engine failure for the crash but later updated its statement to say a cause could not be determined until an official inquiry had been carried out.
Though the plane crash took place hours after Iran fired missiles at US bases in Iraq (more on that below), there is currently no suggestion the two events are related.
This story is still developing. For more updates throughout the day, return to buzzfeednews.com
A relative of someone onboard the flight reacts at an airport outside Kyiv. Sergei Supinsky / Getty Images THE OTHER BIG STORY Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two major US military bases in Iraq
Days after a US airstrike killed a top Iranian general in Iraq, Iran launched a retaliatory attack, firing ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq that house US troops.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack, saying more than a dozen ballistic missiles were aimed at US and coalition forces at two military bases in the region: Al Asad west of Baghdad and Erbil in northern Iraq.
There were no immediate confirmed reports of injuries or deaths as officials continued to assess the damage, but President Donald Trump tweeted, “All is well!”
After the attack, Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif said on Twitter that his country “took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense.” Iran’s Supreme Leader said the attack was a “slap in the face” for the US.
The attack is the latest escalation of aggressive acts between the two countries and came just hours after US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the US was “not seeking a war with Iran.” He added, “But we are prepared to finish one.”
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