🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 96 (from laksa165)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa096.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/","crawl_time":1776672762,"first_indexed_time":1579302773,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,foreignpolicy!\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/ s443","src_root_hash":"6089014433239620496","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Declassified Documents Detail 1988 Accidental U.S. Shootdown of Iranian Commercial Airplane","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did.\niran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article\nMy FP:\nFollow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers.\nSubscribe Now\n|\nLog In\nJanuary 17, 2020, 3:45 PM\nThe Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS\nVincennes\n, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel.\nAs part of our Document of the Week series,\nForeign Policy\nis posting the\nU.S. military investigation\ninto the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests.\nStories Readers Liked\nGo to slide 1\nGo to slide 2\nGo to slide 3\nGo to slide 4\nGo to slide 5\nGo to slide 6\nGo to slide 7\nGo to slide 8\nGo to slide 9\nGo to slide 10\nAn illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.\nAn illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\nAn illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\nTwo dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\nA photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\nAfter the Nation-State\nBy\nMichael Hirsh\nA photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\nThe Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy\nBy\nLisel Hintz\n,\nBerk Esen\n,\nTudor Onea\nAn illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\nCentral American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\nA man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\nChina’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy\nBy\nScott Kennedy\n,\nScott Rozelle\nPhotos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.","attrs_markdown":"## There appears to be a technical issue with your browser\nThis issue is preventing our website from loading properly. 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All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005.\n\nPowered by [WordPress VIP](https:\/\/wpvip.com\/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com)\n\nThis article was published more than **6 years ago**\n\n[Document](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/document\/)\n\n# Anatomy of an Accidental Shootdown\n## Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did.\nBy [**Colum Lynch**](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/colum-lynch\/)\n\n![iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article.jpg?quality=90)\n\niran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article\n\n[My FP:](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/myfp) Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. [Subscribe Now](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/) \\| [Log In](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/)\n\n- Science and Technology\n- United States\n- Iran\n- Middle East and North Africa\n\nJanuary 17, 2020, 3:45 PM\n\nThe Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS *Vincennes*, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel.\n\nAs part of our Document of the Week series, *Foreign Policy* is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/dod\/readingroom\/10\/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests.\n\nThe Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS *Vincennes*, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel.\n\nAs part of our Document of the Week series, *Foreign Policy* is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/dod\/readingroom\/10\/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests.\n\nThe downing of Iran Air Flight 655 occurred at the height of the 1980s war that pitted the revolutionary Islamic government of Iran against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Both sides repeatedly targeted their enemies’ shipping vessels. At the time, Iraq enjoyed the backing of the United States.\n\nIn the spring of 1987, the United States committed naval forces to escort American-flagged oil tankers through hostile waters in the Persian Gulf, where Iran had planted mines and targeted merchant vessels linked to Iraq and its backers. Iran considered the U.S. action hostile because it prevented the country from responding in kind to Iraqi attacks on Iranian oil ships.\n\nDays before the attack on the Iranian airliner, Iraq carried out a series of air raids against Iranian oil facilities and tankers. U.S. forces in the region braced for a wave of anticipated retaliatory strikes. Tehran, meanwhile, deployed three F-14 fighter jets from an airfield in Bushehr to a joint military-civilian airport in Bandar Abbas, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps dispatched a swarm of small armed boats to the Strait of Hormuz, where they mounted attacks on merchant vessels passing through the narrow strip of water that divides the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman.\n\nA helicopter from the USS *Vincennes*, which was instructed to investigate, came under fire from one of the small Iranian gunboats. The crew of the USS *Vincennes* was still engaged in a gunfight when the Iran Air Airbus A300 lifted off from Bandar Abbas en route to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Seven minutes later, the aircraft was hit, killing everyone on board.\n\nThe United States acknowledged responsibility for the attack, but top U.S. military officials claimed that Iran bore substantial responsibility because it had not taken steps to prevent the commercial plane from traversing a war zone.\n\nOn the day of the attack, Marine Corps Gen. George B. Crist, the head of U.S. Central Command, ordered an investigation by Rear Adm. William M. Fogarty into what went wrong. The probe showed how a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle resulted in one of the deadliest commercial tragedies in modern times. There were several key pieces of information that convinced Rogers that his ship was facing an imminent attack. Around the time of takeoff, the commander’s staff picked up a signal that had been associated with Iran’s F-14 fighter jets. An Iranian P3 surveillance plane was spotted in the vicinity, raising fears that it was looking to identify targets. But the most decisive bit of intelligence came minutes before the shooting when an agitated crew member informed the captain that the plane was headed directly towards the USS *Vincennes*—and it was descending and accelerating.\n\nThe report, it turned out, was wrong. The ship’s own tracking system had recorded the plane was actually ascending and that the F-14 signal had not come from the doomed airplane. The plane, flying at an altitude of 13,500 feet, “was on a normal commercial air flight plan profile, in the assigned airway … on a continuous ascent in altitude from takeoff at Bandar Abbas to shoot down,” Fogarty’s report found.\n\nThere were mitigating factors, according to the U.S. military.\n\nThe Iranian military authorities did not inform the commercial tower in Bandar Abbas that hostilities were in progress on the plane’s route. While the Iranian aircraft was well within a 20-mile commercial air corridor, it had veered slightly off the corridor’s center line. Iran used the Bandar Abbas airfield to fly military transport planes and fighters, adding to the confusion. Several months earlier, Iran had launched a fighter jet in support of an attack on U.S. naval forces. Shortly before the attack, the U.S. military issued tougher rules of engagement to their commanders, granting them authority to fire on suspected enemy targets even if they had not themselves come under fire.\n\n“Given the conditions existing on 3 July, Captain Rogers and his senior CIC \\[Combat Information Center\\] watch personnel acted reasonably,” William J. Crowe Jr., then-chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Aug. 18, 1988. “It is impossible in the heat of battle to double check every piece of data being reported. This is not to suggest that Vincennes personnel performed perfectly in this incident; they did not.” But he added: “As the investigation makes clear, to say there were errors made and lessons learned is not necessarily to suggest culpability.”\n\n“Given the time available, the Commanding Officer could hardly meet his obligation to protect his ship and crew and also clear up all of the possible ambiguities,” he wrote.\n\n## Read More\n- [![Rescue teams near the site of a Ukrainian plane crash.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/GettyImages-1192512215.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/09\/iran-shot-down-ukrainian-airliner-united-states-trump-tensions-middle-east-iraq-suleimani-strike\/)\n  \n  Rescue teams near the site of a Ukrainian plane crash.\n  \n  [Western Officials Believe Iran Shot Down Ukrainian Airliner](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/09\/iran-shot-down-ukrainian-airliner-united-states-trump-tensions-middle-east-iraq-suleimani-strike\/)\n  \n  Officials indicate the disaster might have been a mistake made at the height of tensions with the United States after Iran’s missile launch at Iraqi bases.\n  \n  [Report](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/news\/report\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Robbie Gramer](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/robbie-gramer\/),  [Lara Seligman](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/lara-seligman\/),  [Colum Lynch](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/colum-lynch\/)\n- [Document of the Week: Risk of Iranian Retaliation Has Long Spooked Gulf Allies](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2019\/06\/21\/document-of-the-week-risk-of-iranian-retaliation-has-long-spooked-gulf-allies\/)\n  \n  What happens when Washington pushes Tehran too hard.\n  \n  [Document](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/document\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Colum Lynch](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/colum-lynch\/)\n- [![Iranian students at Amirkabir University in Tehran protest](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/GettyImages-1193110688.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/12\/a-public-relations-disaster-overtakes-iran-protests-airliner-suleimani\/)\n  \n  Iranian students at Amirkabir University in Tehran protest\n  \n  [A Public Relations Disaster Overtakes Iran](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/12\/a-public-relations-disaster-overtakes-iran-protests-airliner-suleimani\/)\n  \n  With protests raging in the streets, the Islamic Republic finds itself on the defensive at home and overseas over its misrepresentations.\n  \n  [Report](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/news\/report\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Colum Lynch](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/colum-lynch\/),  [Keith Johnson](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/keith-johnson\/),  [Michael Hirsh](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/michael-hirsh\/)\n\n**Colum Lynch** was a staff writer at *Foreign Policy* between 2010 and 2022. X: [@columlynch](http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/columlynch)\n\nRead More On  [Iran](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/tag\/iran\/) \\| [Middle East and North Africa](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/tag\/middle-east-and-north-africa\/) \\| [Science and Technology](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/tag\/science-and-technology\/) \\| [United States](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/tag\/united-states\/)\n\n### OTHER SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS\n#### [Academic Rates](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/subscribe-academic\/?tpcc=hardwall_academic)\n[Specialty rates for students and faculty.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/subscribe-academic\/?tpcc=hardwall_academic)\n\n#### [Multi-year](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/multi-year\/?tpcc=hardwall_multiyear)\n[Lock in your rates for longer.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/multi-year\/?tpcc=hardwall_multiyear)\n\n#### [Groups](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/group-subscriptions\/?tpcc=hardwall_groups)\n[Equip your organization with powerful global intelligence.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/group-subscriptions\/?tpcc=hardwall_groups)\n\n## Stories Readers Liked\n- Go to slide 1\n- Go to slide 2\n- Go to slide 3\n- Go to slide 4\n- Go to slide 5\n- Go to slide 6\n- Go to slide 7\n- Go to slide 8\n- Go to slide 9\n- Go to slide 10\n\n- [![An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1-Brett-McGurk-Middle-east-policy-portrait-joan-wong-illustration-vertical-v2.jpg?w=700&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/brett-mcgurk-middle-east-israel-gaza-iran\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.\n  \n  [The Man Who Shaped Washington’s View of the Middle East ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/brett-mcgurk-middle-east-israel-gaza-iran\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Dion Nissenbaum](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/dion-nissenbaum\/)\n- [![An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\n  \n  [Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Hal Brands](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/hal-brands\/)\n- [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\n  \n  [As an AI Scholar, I Am Now Putting a High Probability on an AI Doomsday ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Bhaskar Chakravorti](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/bhaskar-chakravorti\/)\n- [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/china-map-GettyImages-2262840218.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\n  \n  [No, China Doesn’t Want Spheres of Influence ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Aaron Glasserman](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/aaron-glasserman\/)\n- [![A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-doomsday-books-nation-state-illustration-2188671579.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\n  \n  [After the Nation-State](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Michael Hirsh](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/michael-hirsh\/)\n- [![A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-trump-orban-modi-erdogan-Pillars-populism-2026.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\n  \n  [The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Lisel Hintz](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/lisel-hintz\/),  [Berk Esen](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/berk-esen\/),  [Tudor Onea](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/tudor-onea\/)\n- [![An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/International-order-dead-foreign-policy-illustration.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\n  \n  [Who Killed the Liberal International Order? ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Nick Danforth](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/nick-danforth\/)\n- [![Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-1231954938.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\n  \n  [The Balance-of-Power Theory Strikes Again ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Stephen M. Walt](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/stephen-m-walt\/)\n- [![A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/China-tech-dragon-development-tech-GettyImages-2187442299.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\n  \n  [China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Scott Kennedy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-kennedy\/),  [Scott Rozelle](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-rozelle\/)\n- [![Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kissinger-brzezinski-realism-foreign-policy-illustratrion.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.\n  \n  [Kissinger, Brzezinski, and the Promise of Realism ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Daniel Fried](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/daniel-fried\/)\n\n## Iran War\n- [![A satellite view of Dubai International Airport on March 16 after a drone strike ignited a fuel tank fire, causing global travel disruptions.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Dubai_GettyImages-2267207634.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/10\/gulf-states-iran-war-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-qatar-strikes-us-israel\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  A satellite view of Dubai International Airport on March 16 after a drone strike ignited a fuel tank fire, causing global travel disruptions.\n  \n  [Where Do the Gulf States Go From Here? ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/10\/gulf-states-iran-war-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-qatar-strikes-us-israel\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Analysis](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/channel\/analysis\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Steven A. Cook](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/steven-a-cook\/)\n- [![Two gas pumps, with \"No Gas\" written on them, are seen at a gas station in 1974.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/oil-crisis-GettyImages-518292546.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/iran-war-oil-energy-crisis-1970s-shock-middle-east\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  Two gas pumps, with \"No Gas\" written on them, are seen at a gas station in 1974.\n  \n  [This Isn’t a 1970s Oil Shock ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/iran-war-oil-energy-crisis-1970s-shock-middle-east\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Argument](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/analysis\/argument\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Rabah Arezki](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/rabah-arezki\/)\n- [![People hold portraits of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally to commemorate his death in Tehran on April 9, 2026.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269933674.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/iran-cease-fire-lebanon-war-pakistan-talks\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  People hold portraits of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally to commemorate his death in Tehran on April 9, 2026.\n  \n  [The Iran Cease-Fire Has Only Divided the War](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/iran-cease-fire-lebanon-war-pakistan-talks\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Dispatch](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/news\/dispatch\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Ali Hashem](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/ali-hashem\/)\n\n## Trending\n- [Order Without Order](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/17\/order-hierarchy-medieval-chaos-power-security\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Parag Khanna](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/parag-khanna\/)\n- [The Man Who Represents Post-Clerical Iran](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/16\/zolghadr-iran-security-post-clerical-era\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Menahem Merhavy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/menahem-merhavy\/)\n- [Xinjiang’s Repression of Uyghurs Has Evolved, Not Ended](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/16\/china-xinjiang-uyghur-camps-repression\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Adrian Zenz](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/adrian-zenz\/)\n- [The Iran War Comes for the ‘King of Chemicals’ ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/17\/iran-war-sulfur-supply-chain-sulfuric-acid-fertilizer-mining\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Christina Lu](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/christina-lu\/)\n- [Why the Next Generation of Republicans Might Be More Extreme Than MAGA](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/20\/after-trump-next-generation-republicans-more-extreme\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Julian E. 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All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005.\n\nPowered by [WordPress VIP](https:\/\/wpvip.com\/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com)\n\n![](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tr?id=203988873637408&ev=PageView&noscript=1)\n\n![Quantcast](https:\/\/pixel.quantserve.com\/pixel\/p-FtKjv2mvnYjUe.gif)","attrs_readable_markdown":"## Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did.\n![iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article.jpg?quality=90)\n\niran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article\n\n[My FP:](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/myfp) Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. [Subscribe Now](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/) \\| [Log In](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/01\/17\/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine\/)\n\nJanuary 17, 2020, 3:45 PM\n\nThe Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS *Vincennes*, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel.\n\nAs part of our Document of the Week series, *Foreign Policy* is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/dod\/readingroom\/10\/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests.\n\n## Stories Readers Liked\n- Go to slide 1\n- Go to slide 2\n- Go to slide 3\n- Go to slide 4\n- Go to slide 5\n- Go to slide 6\n- Go to slide 7\n- Go to slide 8\n- Go to slide 9\n- Go to slide 10\n\n- [![An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1-Brett-McGurk-Middle-east-policy-portrait-joan-wong-illustration-vertical-v2.jpg?w=700&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/09\/brett-mcgurk-middle-east-israel-gaza-iran\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.\n- [![An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\n- [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\n- [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/china-map-GettyImages-2262840218.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\n- [![A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-doomsday-books-nation-state-illustration-2188671579.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\n  \n  [After the Nation-State](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Michael Hirsh](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/michael-hirsh\/)\n- [![A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-trump-orban-modi-erdogan-Pillars-populism-2026.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\n  \n  [The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Lisel Hintz](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/lisel-hintz\/),  [Berk Esen](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/berk-esen\/),  [Tudor Onea](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/tudor-onea\/)\n- [![An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/International-order-dead-foreign-policy-illustration.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\n- [![Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-1231954938.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\n- [![A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/China-tech-dragon-development-tech-GettyImages-2187442299.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\n  \n  [China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Scott Kennedy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-kennedy\/),  [Scott Rozelle](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-rozelle\/)\n- [![Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kissinger-brzezinski-realism-foreign-policy-illustratrion.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did. iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now \| Log In January 17, 2020, 3:45 PM The Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS Vincennes , ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel. As part of our Document of the Week series, Foreign Policy is posting the U.S. military investigation into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests. Stories Readers Liked Go to slide 1 Go to slide 2 Go to slide 3 Go to slide 4 Go to slide 5 Go to slide 6 Go to slide 7 Go to slide 8 Go to slide 9 Go to slide 10 An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents. An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside. An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple. Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray. A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine. After the Nation-State By Michael Hirsh A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump. The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy By Lisel Hintz , Berk Esen , Tudor Onea An illustration of a tombstone reading "RIP" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand. Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico. A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background. China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy By Scott Kennedy , Scott Rozelle Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.
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All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005. Powered by [WordPress VIP](https://wpvip.com/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com) This article was published more than 6 years ago [Document](https://foreignpolicy.com/category/document/) # Anatomy of an Accidental Shootdown ## Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did. By [Colum Lynch](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/colum-lynch/) ![iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article.jpg?quality=90) iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article [My FP:](https://foreignpolicy.com/myfp) Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. [Subscribe Now](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) \\| [Log In](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) - Science and Technology - United States - Iran - Middle East and North Africa January 17, 2020, 3:45 PM The Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS Vincennes, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel. As part of our Document of the Week series, Foreign Policy is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/readingroom/10/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests. The Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS Vincennes, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel. As part of our Document of the Week series, Foreign Policy is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/readingroom/10/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests. The downing of Iran Air Flight 655 occurred at the height of the 1980s war that pitted the revolutionary Islamic government of Iran against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Both sides repeatedly targeted their enemies’ shipping vessels. At the time, Iraq enjoyed the backing of the United States. In the spring of 1987, the United States committed naval forces to escort American-flagged oil tankers through hostile waters in the Persian Gulf, where Iran had planted mines and targeted merchant vessels linked to Iraq and its backers. Iran considered the U.S. action hostile because it prevented the country from responding in kind to Iraqi attacks on Iranian oil ships. Days before the attack on the Iranian airliner, Iraq carried out a series of air raids against Iranian oil facilities and tankers. U.S. forces in the region braced for a wave of anticipated retaliatory strikes. Tehran, meanwhile, deployed three F-14 fighter jets from an airfield in Bushehr to a joint military-civilian airport in Bandar Abbas, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps dispatched a swarm of small armed boats to the Strait of Hormuz, where they mounted attacks on merchant vessels passing through the narrow strip of water that divides the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman. A helicopter from the USS Vincennes, which was instructed to investigate, came under fire from one of the small Iranian gunboats. The crew of the USS Vincennes was still engaged in a gunfight when the Iran Air Airbus A300 lifted off from Bandar Abbas en route to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Seven minutes later, the aircraft was hit, killing everyone on board. The United States acknowledged responsibility for the attack, but top U.S. military officials claimed that Iran bore substantial responsibility because it had not taken steps to prevent the commercial plane from traversing a war zone. On the day of the attack, Marine Corps Gen. George B. Crist, the head of U.S. Central Command, ordered an investigation by Rear Adm. William M. Fogarty into what went wrong. The probe showed how a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle resulted in one of the deadliest commercial tragedies in modern times. There were several key pieces of information that convinced Rogers that his ship was facing an imminent attack. Around the time of takeoff, the commander’s staff picked up a signal that had been associated with Iran’s F-14 fighter jets. An Iranian P3 surveillance plane was spotted in the vicinity, raising fears that it was looking to identify targets. But the most decisive bit of intelligence came minutes before the shooting when an agitated crew member informed the captain that the plane was headed directly towards the USS Vincennes—and it was descending and accelerating. The report, it turned out, was wrong. The ship’s own tracking system had recorded the plane was actually ascending and that the F-14 signal had not come from the doomed airplane. The plane, flying at an altitude of 13,500 feet, “was on a normal commercial air flight plan profile, in the assigned airway … on a continuous ascent in altitude from takeoff at Bandar Abbas to shoot down,” Fogarty’s report found. There were mitigating factors, according to the U.S. military. The Iranian military authorities did not inform the commercial tower in Bandar Abbas that hostilities were in progress on the plane’s route. While the Iranian aircraft was well within a 20-mile commercial air corridor, it had veered slightly off the corridor’s center line. Iran used the Bandar Abbas airfield to fly military transport planes and fighters, adding to the confusion. Several months earlier, Iran had launched a fighter jet in support of an attack on U.S. naval forces. Shortly before the attack, the U.S. military issued tougher rules of engagement to their commanders, granting them authority to fire on suspected enemy targets even if they had not themselves come under fire. “Given the conditions existing on 3 July, Captain Rogers and his senior CIC \[Combat Information Center\] watch personnel acted reasonably,” William J. Crowe Jr., then-chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Aug. 18, 1988. “It is impossible in the heat of battle to double check every piece of data being reported. This is not to suggest that Vincennes personnel performed perfectly in this incident; they did not.” But he added: “As the investigation makes clear, to say there were errors made and lessons learned is not necessarily to suggest culpability.” “Given the time available, the Commanding Officer could hardly meet his obligation to protect his ship and crew and also clear up all of the possible ambiguities,” he wrote. ## Read More - [![Rescue teams near the site of a Ukrainian plane crash.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GettyImages-1192512215.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/09/iran-shot-down-ukrainian-airliner-united-states-trump-tensions-middle-east-iraq-suleimani-strike/) Rescue teams near the site of a Ukrainian plane crash. 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X: [@columlynch](http://www.twitter.com/columlynch) Read More On [Iran](https://foreignpolicy.com/tag/iran/) \\| [Middle East and North Africa](https://foreignpolicy.com/tag/middle-east-and-north-africa/) \\| [Science and Technology](https://foreignpolicy.com/tag/science-and-technology/) \\| [United States](https://foreignpolicy.com/tag/united-states/) ### OTHER SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS #### [Academic Rates](https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe-academic/?tpcc=hardwall_academic) [Specialty rates for students and faculty.](https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe-academic/?tpcc=hardwall_academic) #### [Multi-year](https://foreignpolicy.com/multi-year/?tpcc=hardwall_multiyear) [Lock in your rates for longer.](https://foreignpolicy.com/multi-year/?tpcc=hardwall_multiyear) #### [Groups](https://foreignpolicy.com/group-subscriptions/?tpcc=hardwall_groups) [Equip your organization with powerful global intelligence.](https://foreignpolicy.com/group-subscriptions/?tpcc=hardwall_groups) ## Stories Readers Liked - Go to slide 1 - Go to slide 2 - Go to slide 3 - Go to slide 4 - Go to slide 5 - Go to slide 6 - Go to slide 7 - Go to slide 8 - Go to slide 9 - Go to slide 10 - [![An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. 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Readable Markdown	## Three decades ago, a perfect storm of miscommunication, miscalculation, and human error in the heat of battle caused the United States to make a mistake similar to the one Iran just did. ![iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article.jpg?quality=90) iran-us-plane-crash-1988-document-article [My FP:](https://foreignpolicy.com/myfp) Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. [Subscribe Now](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) \\| [Log In](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) January 17, 2020, 3:45 PM The Jan. 8 Iranian shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger flight shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport was not the first time that U.S.-Iranian tensions had resulted in a major commercial airline tragedy. On July 3, 1988, William C. Rogers III, the commander of the USS Vincennes, ordered the downing of an Iranian passenger plane over the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 people from six nations. He thought it was an F-14 fighter jet intent on attacking the U.S. naval vessel. As part of our Document of the Week series, Foreign Policy is posting the [U.S. military investigation](https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/readingroom/10/172.pdf) into the accident, along with letters from top U.S. military brass defending the commander’s action as justified as a result of the fog of war. The documents—marked secret—were obtained by the Black Vault, a repository of declassified U.S. government documents founded by John E. Greenewald Jr. through Freedom of Information Act requests. ## Stories Readers Liked - Go to slide 1 - Go to slide 2 - Go to slide 3 - Go to slide 4 - Go to slide 5 - Go to slide 6 - Go to slide 7 - Go to slide 8 - Go to slide 9 - Go to slide 10 - [![An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Brett-McGurk-Middle-east-policy-portrait-joan-wong-illustration-vertical-v2.jpg?w=700&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/09/brett-mcgurk-middle-east-israel-gaza-iran/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents. - [![An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside. - [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/24/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple. - [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/china-map-GettyImages-2262840218.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/25/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray. - [![A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-doomsday-books-nation-state-illustration-2188671579.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/27/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine. [After the Nation-State](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/27/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By [Michael Hirsh](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/michael-hirsh/) - [![A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-trump-orban-modi-erdogan-Pillars-populism-2026.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/19/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump. [The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/19/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By [Lisel Hintz](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/lisel-hintz/), [Berk Esen](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/berk-esen/), [Tudor Onea](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/tudor-onea/) - [![An illustration of a tombstone reading "RIP" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/International-order-dead-foreign-policy-illustration.png?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/09/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration of a tombstone reading "RIP" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand. - [![Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-1231954938.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/23/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico. - [![A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/China-tech-dragon-development-tech-GettyImages-2187442299.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/10/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background. [China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy](https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/10/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By [Scott Kennedy](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/scott-kennedy/), [Scott Rozelle](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/scott-rozelle/) - [![Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kissinger-brzezinski-realism-foreign-policy-illustratrion.png?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/01/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.
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