Iran painfully remembers the anniversary of the tragic downing of the Airbus.

In Iran, July 3rd is dedicated to the memory of the massacre of Iran Air flight 655, which that day in 1988, while flying over the Strait of Hormuz towards Abu Dhabi, was hit by a surface-to-air missile launched by the cruiser USSVincennes of the US Navy, causing its destruction and the killing of all 290 passengers, including 66 children.

According to the United States government's statements, the crew of the Vincennes mistook the A300 for an Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat fighter, while the Iranian government believed the Vincennes intentionally shot down the civilian aircraft. The event generated a great deal of controversy in the United States; some analysts accused the US military command and the commander of the Vincennes of reckless and aggressive behavior in an already dangerously tense area. The U.S. government expressed regret for the loss of life, but did not admit to any mistakes or issue an official apology to the Iranian government. In 1996, the United States agreed to pay the families of the victims $61,8 million in total compensation, equivalent to $213.103 per passenger, but did not issue a formal apology.