TEHRAN – In a significant escalation of the ongoing regional conflict, Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport was targeted by heavy airstrikes on Tuesday, marking the fourth day of the “Operation Epic Fury” campaign led by U.S. and Israeli forces.
Local sources and state media confirmed multiple explosions at the facility, which serves as a critical hub for both civilian domestic travel and military transport.
Iran Air Fleet Sustains Damage
According to an Iranian aviation source, the strikes resulted in the total destruction of an Iran Air Airbus A319 parked on the tarmac. While the airport has faced intermittent closures since the conflict began on Saturday, this is the first confirmed report of a specific civilian airframe being lost at the capital’s primary domestic hub.
Regional Aviation Crisis
The fallout from the strikes has created a “no-fly zone” across much of the Middle East.
- Global Impact: Over 3,400 flights have been canceled in the last 72 hours.
- Airspace Closures: Airspaces over Iran, Iraq, the UAE, and Qatar remain either closed or severely restricted.
- Stranded Travelers: Hundreds of thousands of passengers remain stuck in transit hubs like Dubai and Doha as carriers like Lufthansa and British Airways avoid the region entirely.
