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What role did the USS Vincennes play in the Iran-Iraq War?

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The USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air flight 655 on July 3, 1988, after U.S. forces mistook it for a fighter jet. The downing resulted in 290 civilian deaths, and the tragedy hastened a war-weary Iran to accept a United Nations-brokered ceasefire. The incident took place during the Tanker War phase of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), in which U.S. forces were in direct confrontation with Iranian forces.