THREE BRITONS KILLED AFTER A UKRAINIAN BOEING 737 CRASHES IN IRAN JUST HOURS AFTER A ROCKET ATTACK ON U.S. BASES

The Ukrainian airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran today, reports on the ground say that all 177 people on board have sadly lost their lives.

It is unknown as yet what caused the crash with initial reports from within Iran claiming it to have been a mechanical failure, although reportedly the plane was seen to be in flames already as it fell out of the sky - leading some to speculate that it may have been accidentally shot down having been mistaken for a U.S. counter attack on the Iranian capital.

Three Britons and 63 Canadians were among the 177 on board who perished.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken of the tragic loss of life whilst the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran has reported the crash was caused by engine failure and not terrorism or as a result of a missile attack:

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'According to preliminary data the plane crashed due to engine failure for technical reasons. As of now versions of terrorist attack or missile attack are ruled out.' 

Investigators are now at the scene as they inspect the wreckage for clues as to what caused the tragic loss.

The crash comes after rockets were fired from Iranian territory upon U.S. bases in Iraq in a retaliation for the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani.