Pre-dawn strikes set Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport ablaze amid escalating war

2026-03-07 - 07:06

Dramatic footage showed flames and thick smoke rising from Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran early Saturday after Israeli airstrikes struck the Iranian capital during a major overnight offensive. According to the Israel Defense Forces, more than 80 fighter jets took part in the pre-dawn operation, carrying out what it described as a “broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting military infrastructure across Iran. Videos and images circulating online showed fires burning near the airport, one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs. Iranian state media reported that the facility was among the sites hit during the strikes, according to dw.com. Mehrabad Airport, located in western Tehran, handles most of Iran’s domestic flights and is also associated with military operations, making it a strategically significant location. The Israeli military said its strikes targeted several key facilities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps training infrastructure at Imam Hossein Military University, as well as underground missile storage sites, military bunkers, command centers and launch sites in western and central Iran. Footage from the Iranian capital captured the sound of explosions and large plumes of smoke rising into the early-morning sky as the strikes unfolded. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency accused Israel of directly targeting Mehrabad Airport, though independent verification of the full extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed. The attack comes as the week-long conflict between Iran and Israel continues to escalate. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones across the region, while Gulf countries have been working to intercept retaliatory strikes. Air defense systems in the United Arab Emirates were activated to counter a missile threat, while Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting incoming drones and missiles linked to the conflict. The strikes mark one of the most significant attacks on Tehran since the war began, highlighting the strategic importance of Mehrabad Airport and its proximity to military and government facilities in the Iranian capital.