Sweden has said that Iran has agreed to compensate the families of the foreign victims of a Ukrainian passenger plane that was unintentionally shot down outside Tehran in January.

"We have signed an agreement of mutual understanding that we will now negotiate with Iran about amends, compensation to the victims' next of kin," Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde told news agency TT on Thursday in a statement confirmed by her press secretary to the AFP news agency.

Linde said the agreement had been reached after negotiations with Iran and the countries with citizens among the victims.

While it was still unclear what sums would be paid out, Linde said there was "no doubt" that Iran would follow through on the compensation.

Among the victims of the PS752 flight, many were Iranian-Canadians, but there were also victims from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan and Ukraine, including the nine crew members.