IFP - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has expressed deep regret over the crash of a passenger plane near the Russian capital, which claimed the lives of all the 71 people on board.�



In a statement on Sunday, Qassemi offered sympathy to the Russian nation and government, and the bereaved families of the victims.

The Russian airliner crashed earlier on Sunday after leaving Moscow�s Domodedovo airport, killing all 65 passengers and six crew on board.

The Saratov Airlines jet vanished minutes after take-off and crashed near the village of Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow.

The cause of crash is unclear. Investigators and emergency crews are working at the snow-covered site.

Eyewitnesses told Russian media that the jet was on fire as it plummeted.

Investigators said the causes they were considering included weather conditions, human error and technical failure � but they did not mention the possibility of terrorism.

The Antonov An-148 was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural Mountains.

Pieces of wreckage and bodies were found spread over a large area. One of the flight recorders has been recovered, officials say.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the victims� families and announced an inquiry into the cause of the crash.