Massive Explosion Rocks Tehran's Mehrabad Airport Amid Israel-Iran Tensions, Flights Rerouted Across Region

Tehran: A huge explosion lit up the sky above Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport late Friday night, as is seen in the dramatic footage which is circulating online. The video shows thick black smoke rolling into the sky and a fireball. Reports suggest that this was the result of an Israeli strike targeting military assets near the civilian airport and Iranian state media reported the airport was targeted because it has a hangar housing fighter jets.

Mehrabad is one of Tehran’s busiest airports, mostly used for domestic flights, but the nearby military facilities were considered potential targets in the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel. Reports suggest that two projectiles struck the airport and a huge fire could be identified from the distance. Emergency sirens can be heard blaring in the background as the video zooms towards the flame, leaving residents in panic and fear.

The explosions come as Israel and Iran exchange a second wave of aerial attacks following Israeli strikes on the Islamic regime's military and nuclear facilities on Thursday. 

Regional Airspace Closed

As a result of the strike and fearing more attacks, Iran has closed its airspace and countries in the Gulf like Iraq and Jordan have restricted large parts of their airspace. This has caused a ripple effect across global aviation as international airlines are scrambling to reroute their flights to avoid the region.

Reroutes mean delays and longer flight duration, particularly for flights going from Asia to Europe. Indian airlines IndiGo and Air India have warned passengers of longer duration, delays and possible cancellation of some flights.

Also Read: Israeli Air Force Pounds Over Iranian Military Installations