Islamic Republic has said pandemic holding up handover of evidence; Tehran says it accidentally shot down airliner in January, killing 176 on board

Government spokesman claims Tehran has 'nothing on our side to hide' about accidental shooting down of passenger plane

Accident agency denies it has been contacted , but says it is 'ready to look at any request'; Canada has urged Tehran to hand over black boxes to Ukraine or France for analysis

Continuing refusal to hand over black box device, Iranian defense minister says his country will repair it and then attempt to read information stored on it

Tehran faces a paramilitary Guard that keeps its own government in the dark, a supreme leader above oversight or reproach, and mounting economic troubles and popular fury

State TV says airliner came in harder than usual in Mahshahr and lost its landing gear as it hit the tarmac; images from scene show jet ground to a halt close to populated area

Tehran's civil aviation authority says it has yet to receive a positive response after requesting assistance from France and the US in decoding black boxes

Among those openly criticizing regime are actors vowing to boycott a film festival, a famed volleyball player and a former state TV presenter who apologized for '13 years of lying'

President Volodymyr Zelensky attends honor guard for Ukraine International Airlines flight crew and 2 passengers shot down January 8 by Iran's Revolutionary Guard

Official says Iran working to recover data, cabin recordings; Tehran may be hesitant to turn over black boxes that could reveal more details of its downing of Ukrainian airliner