Large fires and thick smoke plumes were seen rising over Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran following what reports suggest were recent strikes on the facility. Images shared by BRICSinfo showed nighttime scenes of intense blazes illuminating the sky above the airport, which serves as Tehran’s main hub for domestic flights and also handles some military logistics operations.
Mehrabad has been targeted repeatedly in multiple waves of US-Israeli airstrikes during the March and April 2026 conflict, part of a broader campaign that has hit airports, energy facilities, military bases, and civilian infrastructure across the Iranian capital and surrounding regions.
Mehrabad is not a minor target. It is one of the busiest airports in Iran, serving millions of passengers annually and connecting Tehran to cities across the country.
It also functions as a dual-use facility, meaning it supports both civilian aviation and military or government logistics, a designation that makes it a legitimate military target under the rules of engagement both sides claim to follow but a devastating loss for the civilian population that depends on it for travel, commerce, and emergency transport.
The fires visible in the images suggest significant damage to fuel storage, aircraft, hangars, or terminal infrastructure, all of which are difficult and expensive to repair under the best of circumstances and nearly impossible to replace quickly under sanctions and active conflict. If the airport is rendered non-operational for an extended period, the impact on Tehran’s connectivity, economy, and public morale will be severe. Domestic flights will be disrupted, emergency medical evacuations will be complicated, and the psychological message that even the capital’s airport is not safe will settle deeper into the population.
The repeated targeting of Mehrabad and other Tehran-area airports including Imam Khomeini International Airport indicates that the US-Israeli campaign is not limited to remote military sites or border installations. It is striking at the heart of Iranian infrastructure in the most populated and politically significant part of the country. The strategy appears designed to demonstrate that no location, no matter how central or symbolically important, is beyond reach….See More
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