Dramatic footage showed Tehran’s Mehrabad airport on fire after an airstrike on the Iranian capital early Saturday morning, state media said.
Opened in 1938, this airport is located near the center of the vast capital. It is owned by the Iranian government and is considered the busiest in the country.
Since 2004, most international flights have been handled by Imam Khomeini International Airport outside the city. However, Mehrabad remains an important hub in the country.
The incendiary footage was released after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had launched a “massive wave of attacks” against Tehran in the early morning hours.
The extent of damage to the airport is unknown.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency accused Israel of attacking the airport. It is not clear whether the compound was directly attacked. CNN has asked the IDF for comment on whether it targeted the airport.
One frequent flyer described the airport as Tehran’s “first real international airport,” recalling how she gathered there to say hello and goodbye to family members flying in and out of the United States, and how an airport security guard complimented her wedding dress during baggage screening.
“We all like this airport…despite the fact that it is aging and needed expansion and reconstruction,” they told CNN anonymously.
“It was one of the good old mid-sized airports in the Middle East, and we arrived straight through the main square. The staff took special pride in working at the airport. Everyone was so handsome and good-looking that it was a coveted and rewarding job.”
According to Flightradar24, among the main routes within Iran, Mehrabad Airport has 94 weekly flights to Mashhad (MHD), 69 weekly flights to Ahvaz (AWZ), and 51 weekly flights to Shiraz (SYZ).
Other popular destinations in the country include Kish Island, Tabriz City, and Kerman City.
Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.
This post has been updated with new information.
