INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Britain's ambassador to Iran was arrested during protests in Tehran after the country admitted it had "unintentionally" shot down a
Ukrainian passenger plane.Rob Macaire was detained on suspicion of organising, provoking and directing radical actions, with hostility
towards Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei having grown since the announcement earlier on Saturday.Mr Macaire was released after more
than an hour in custody as the demonstrations went on, with videos on social media from the capital showing hundreds of people chanting
"death to the liars" and for the supreme leader to resign.Trudeau: 'We will not rest until we get justice'Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
called Mr Macaire's arrest a "flagrant violation of international norms"."The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment
It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to de-escalate
tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards."Image:The UK's ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire
Pic: Foreign OfficeThe admission by Iran over what caused Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to crash confirmed Western
intelligence that the plane was struck by a short-range missile not long after take-off from Tehran International Airport, killing all 176
passengers and crew.Most of the victims were from Iran and Canada, with four from Britain, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
his British counterpart Boris Johnson are among the world leaders to have demanded a full investigation.Image:Students are among those
demonstrating in TehranImage:Many have held up radical slogans demanding regime changeAccording to the Iranian Fars news agency,
demonstrators ripped up pictures of Major General Qassem Soleimani, whose controversial assassination by the US prompted Iran to target two
American bases in Iraq.Those strikes came just hours before the Ukrainian plane was shot down on Wednesday, with Iranian forces having
remained on high alert for possible retaliation from the US.Khamenei, who was seen crying at the funeral of the commander earlier this week,
has expressed "deep sympathy" to the victims of the plane crash and other senior officials have also apologised.Iran plane downing admission
is 'remarkable'But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has tweeted that the protests were a sign that the Iranian people "are fed up with the
regime's lies, corruption, ineptitude and brutality".US President Donald Trump also expressed his support of "the brave, long-suffering
people of Iran" and called on the Iranian government to allow human rights groups to monitor the protests.Iran had previously insisted it
had nothing to do with the plane crash.Mr Trudeau has said "there are still questions that must be answered" about how and why the plane was
shot down.Speaking at a media conference, Mr Trudeau demanded a "full and complete investigation" into the crash."Shooting down a civilian
aircraft is horrific and Iran must take full responsibility," he said.Image:Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei (left) weeps as he leads a
prayer over the coffin of Qassem SoleimaniAsked about whether the killing of the Soleimani had contributed to the plane crash, Mr Trudeau
said: "Times of tension like these is when a tragedy like this crash can happen."He called for a "de-escalation of tensions" in the region,
and also condemned the Iranian strikes on the US air bases, which housed Canadian troops."The reality is there have been significant
tensions in that region for a long time," Mr Trudeau said."We are calling for a de-escalation to ensure there are no more tragic accidents
and loss of civilian life."Image:Pictures of the wreckage were shared by the Office of the President of UkraineImage:The site where the
plane crashedMr Trudeau welcomed Iran's admission, describing it as "an important step towards providing answers for families", however he
said he and other leaders "still have questions that must be answered".He added: "Families are seeking justice and accountability and
deserve closure."Image:Trudeau has attended vigils for victims of the crashHis call for an investigation echoed that of Mr Johnson, who said
Iran must cooperate.Mr Johnson added: "This tragic accident only reinforces the importance of de-escalating tensions in the region
We can all see very clearly that further conflict will only lead to more loss and tragedy
It is vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward."Both leaders have spoken on the phone with Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also spoke with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday, reiterating his demand that those
behind the crash "must be held accountable" and that the victims be repatriated "immediately".Meanwhile, the EU Aviation Safety Agency has
urged European airlines to avoid Iranian airspace until further notice.Image:Plane engine among debris in IranTehran has said the Ukrainian
plane was "misidentified as a cruise missile" by an air defence operator.The supreme leader was reportedly informed on Friday and ordered
the information be made public, despite senior officials having spent days denying that Iran was responsible for the accident.Tehran went as
far as to say that accusations by the US and Canada that Iran had downed the jet, citing intelligence, amounted to "psychological warfare
against Iran".Image:Mourners console each other during a vigil in TorontoOn Friday, Hamid Baeidinejad, the Iranian ambassador to the UK,
told Sky News that he was confident there had not been a missile strike that caused the plane to come down.After Iran's admission, Ayatollah
Khamenei said: "Having been informed about the crash of the Ukrainian passenger plane and confirmation of the human error, the tragedy of
deaths of passengers in this sad incident became a lot more severe for me."Iran ambassador rejects 'absurd' crash claimsAs well as in
Tehran, there have also been anti-regime protests over the plane crash in other Iranian cities.Those include Shiraz, Isfahan, Babol, Abdan,
Mashhad and Hamedan.Ayatollah Khamenei is not the only target for the demonstrators - some are also chanting against the military and the
danger of potential war with the US.
