I believe that the actions of Iran were the proximate cause of this accident and would argue that Iran must bear the principal responsibility for the tragedy.

William J. Crow Jr., Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 5 August 1988

The United States is responsible for the consequences of its barbaric massacre of innocent passengers.

Iran Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, 4 July 1988

barbaric (adjective) /bɑːˈbærɪk/—the term originates from the Greek: βάρβαρος (barbaros pl. βάρβαροι) to refer to foreigners from “lands beyond moral influence,” especially those from rival nations like the Persians, Berbers, and Turks, whose languages Greek soldiers mocked by saying “bar bar bar.”