Iran says virus delays reading of Ukraine airline black boxes

Iran said Monday that the coronavirus pandemic has slowed its plans to send abroad the black boxes of a Ukrainian plane its forces mistakenly shot down in January. "From the first days of this painful incident, we announced our readiness to cooperate in investigating the black boxes of the Ukrainian plane," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said. "There is nothing on our side to hide," he said in Tehran. "If it is possible to read them in Ukraine... this will be done in Ukraine. Otherwise, the black boxes will be read in France." But he said the process had been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen most international flights cancelled. "The interruption of international flights linked to the coronavirus epidemic caused an involuntary delay," said Rabiei. "We will resume this process (of sending the black boxes) with the gradual resumption of international flights and the clarification of the results of the negotiations" between Iran and others involved in the process.<br/>