On Tuesday night, 100 Percent Fed Up reported about numerous short-range ballistic missiles or cruise missiles that were fired into Western Iraq in the Anwar Province where American airbase Al Asad is located. The base houses American and coalition troops. There are 5,000 American troops in Iraq.
David Lauter of the LA Times calls this a “big escalation”:
“Iran’s missile attack on a U.S. base marks a major shift. In the past, U.S. officials have accused Iran of attacks on US forces, but it’s always been through cutaways — proxy militias. This is direct and traceable — a big escalation.”
It is being reported that Iran has named this attack “Operation Martyr Soleimani” and Iranian state TV has cited IRGC saying this is the first response for the death of General Soleimani.
Here is video footage of the strikes.
🎥 «انتقام سخت» آغاز شد/ حملات سنگین موشکی سپاه به پایگاه آمریکایی عینالاسد pic.twitter.com/sbw0cwGH6B
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) January 7, 2020
Shortly after the missile attacks by Iran, Fox News reporter Heather Childers reported about 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck near Iran’s nuclear plant.
“As if tonight’s Iranian missile strikes in Iraq weren’t enough- Ukraine plane crashes taking off from Tehran Airport- AND reports coming in that a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck near #Iran‘s #Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant,” Childers tweeted.
As if tonight’s Iranian missile strikes in Iraq weren’t enough- Ukraine plane crashes taking off from Tehran Airport- AND reports coming in that a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck near #Iran's #Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. https://t.co/qunEQBCM8c
— Heather Childers (@HeatherChilders) January 8, 2020
According to India Today – A natural, 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck Iran near the Bushehr nuclear plant Wednesday, reports said, as tensions in the Middle East soared following Iranian missile strikes on Iraqi bases housing US troops.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck 10 km southeast of Borazjan, Iran — marked with a gold star on the map below — and at a depth of 10 km.
The map shows the respective locations of the earthquake’s epicentre and the city of Bushehr, near which the nuclear plant is located.
SIMMSA is saying the “earthquake” is a “possible nuclear test”
#SIMMSA #EARTHQUAKE
FINAL DATA: 4.9mB
SOUTHEAST OF BORAZJAN #IRAN
2020-01-08, 02:20:02 UTC
DEPTH: 04 km.(((POSSIBLE NUCLEAR TEST))) pic.twitter.com/FzrCNX930u
— IIGEA A.C. (@IIGEAac) January 8, 2020
Shortly after the earthquake was reported, a Boeing 737 leaving the Tehran airport and headed for Kyiv, Ukraine, with reportedly 180 people aboard, crashed into a “ball of fire.”
At 11:23 PM EST, The Spectator Index reported a breaking news story about Ukraine International flight # 752, a Boeing 737, with over 170 people aboard that crashed outside of Tehran as it was leaving the Tehran Airport. The flight was reportedly bound for Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. There are conflicting reports about the number of passengers aboard the plane ranging from 168 to 180 + crew. All passengers are believed to have died.
BREAKING: Iranian news agency says no signs of any survivors after Ukraine International Flight 752, carrying over 170 people, crashed outside Tehran.
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 8, 2020
According to many reports, the Boeing 737 plane suffered technical issues and crashed shortly after take-off.
Here is one of the videos emerging after the horrific crash.
#BREAKING : More video about #Ukraine air crash flight #PS752 pic.twitter.com/0KgB6tbAah
— Aviation Newsroom (@Aviation_NewsTW) January 8, 2020
Boeing has issued a statement saying they are aware of the media reports out of Iran and are gathering more information.
We are aware of the media reports out of Iran and we are gathering more information.
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) January 8, 2020
Many on social media are speculating that the crash was not an accident.
@maggieNYT Ukraine Intl flight 752 tracks log shows that plane was increasing speed and increasing rate of climb and then stopped giving its ADB messages abruptly It was at 2240m altitude ( 7280 feet) at time. Tech problem would have seen log entries of plane descending fast. pic.twitter.com/JQmHFazfMT
— Jean-François Mezei (@jfmezei) January 8, 2020
Global Breaking News shared an alleged video of the plane crash.
https://twitter.com/GBNReports/status/1214757588174114817?s=20
A new video shows the horrific scene at the crash site of the Ukranian flight in Tehran.
https://twitter.com/eliteworld043/status/1214778181275619328?s=20
Is Iran getting a hard dose of karma? Was the Ukraine plane crash an accident? We’d love to read what you think in the comment section below.
Stay tuned…