I'm sure that there was at least some consideration on both sides about the victims of the plane, and maybe that was enough to sway them to cease any further operations. The same goes for the earthquake, as they can often be seen as signs from God especially in the earthquake-prone areas like Iran. Folks, when you hear the old saying "the Lord works in mysterious ways", this is what they mean. I think that the sacrifices of those 180 passengers on board that flight may have just saved thousands (if not millions) of lives elsewhere.