Iranian passenger plane destroyed in US strikes on Mashhad International Airport - report

Mashhad International Airport became the scene of further destruction on March 30, when US strikes damaged an aircraft belonging to Mahan Air. Iranian officials confirmed the incident, stating that the airplane was stationed at the airport and was slated to depart for New Delhi on a humanitarian aid mission. This flight was intended to facilitate the transportation of crucial medical equipment and assistance to India, a mission now jeopardized by the attack.

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An aircraft belonging to Mahan Air was damaged during US strikes on Mashhad Airport in Iran on March 30, Iranian officials told Asian News International (ANI).

The United States has yet to officially acknowledge or take responsibility for the strike, adding another layer of ambiguity to the ongoing conflict. This incident is not an isolated event; reports indicate that other Iranian airlines, including Iran Air and Zagros, have also sustained damage. The Wall Street Journal further reports that a staggering 20 passenger planes in Iran were completely destroyed, with an additional 40 suffering damage across the country.

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The airplane was stationed at Mashhad International Airport and was reportedly scheduled to fly to New Delhi as part of a humanitarian aid operation.

Mahan Air, a private Iranian airline, has been a frequent target of international scrutiny. The US Department of the Treasury designated it as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in 2011 due to its alleged material support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force. This designation imposes severe sanctions, freezing assets and prohibiting US persons from engaging in transactions with the airline, effectively cutting it off from the US financial system.

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The US has not officially taken responsibility for the strike.

These strikes on aviation infrastructure are part of a wider campaign against Iran, which has resulted in substantial economic losses for the nation. Open-source intelligence assessments estimate Iran's economic losses from the six-week war with Israel and the United States to be between $140 billion and $145 billion. The cessation of operations for Iran's airlines alone is estimated to have caused a loss of revenue of approximately $600 million, highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on the country's civilian infrastructure and economy.

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Mahan Air is a private airline in Iran that operates flights across Asia. It has frequently been at the center of international scrutiny, with the US Department of the Treasury officially designating it as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in 2011 for its material support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force.