“Once again why was a commercial airplane flying in an active combat area?”
Civilian aircraft flew in and out of Iraq’s airports throughout the Iraq war and occupation, then the civil war and ISIS attacks.
It is because Western air defense and C&C systems put in the extra time and money to program-in target discrimination to avoid collateral damage. Russians do not. Reason #4453 why countries avoid buying Russian crap.
Flight 655 Iran airlines shot down by the US...although it was 1988.
Killed everybody on board.
I dont remeber us being at war with Iran ever..do you?