Tehran: On July 3, 1988, a U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser, the USS Vincennes, shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 passengers and crew members on board — including 66 children. The Airbus A300, on a scheduled commercial flight from Bandar Abbas to Dubai, was mistakenly identified as a hostile aircraft.

The incident remains one of the most tragic episodes in aviation history. Despite Iran's repeated calls for justice, the United States has never formally apologized. The U.S. government later expressed "deep regret" and paid compensation to the victims’ families, but it did not admit legal liability.

The bodies of 112 victims were never recovered, believed to have sunk deep into the waters of the Persian Gulf.

As Iran and the global community mark 36 years since the tragedy, questions of accountability, human rights, and justice remain at the forefront.