Israel destroys 16 commercial aircraft used by IRGC at Tehran airport
March 9, 2026
Over the weekend, Israel stated it had destroyed 16 aircraft used by the IRGC Quds Force at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport. It appears that one of these aircraft was the world’s final in-service Boeing 747-100, converted as the world’s only KC-747 tanker.
Israel appears to have destroyed 16-17 commercial Iranian aircraft
Israel has carried out punishing strikes on Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, destroying at least 17 commercial aircraft on the ground. Identifying the exact type of aircraft is difficult at this time, although it appears they are all, or mostly all, passenger or cargo aircraft.
Curiously, at least two aircraft, including a quad-jet, appear to have been parked in local aircraft cemeteries. It is unclear if these aircraft were operational or if Iran was trying to hide them in the cemeteries.
According to reporting by Times of Israel, Israel said that Mehrabad Airport was used by the Quds Force “as a central hub for arming and funding the regime’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East,” including Hezbollah.
Satellite imagery shows that at least 17 aircraft, most of which appear to be passenger planes, were destroyed in last night’s US and Israeli attacks on Mehrabad International Airport.
— Farzad Seifikaran (@FSeifikaran) March 7, 2026
Credit: @planet pic.twitter.com/ov1OBa1Ks3
Israel affirmed it targeted aircraft that had been used to transport weapons and cash numerous times across the region, supplying its proxies.
Farzad Seifikaran, a senior forensic reporter for the BBC, posted satellite imagery last night of the aftermath. He wrote, “Satellite imagery shows that at least 17 aircraft, most of which appear to be passenger planes, were destroyed in last night’s US and Israeli attacks on Mehrabad International Airport.”
In the satellite photos, the aircraft can be seen destroyed, but there are fields of debris, and it’s difficult to ascertain which aircraft they are. Some aircraft appear small, perhaps business jets or regional aircraft, while others appear to be large, widebody commercial aircraft.
Iran has used commercial aircraft to transport weapons
It is well-known that Iran has used commercial Air Iran and Mahan Air aircraft, like A300s, A330s, and A340s, to transport weapons. In 2024, the UK sanctioned Air Iran from its airspace after being accused of transporting weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
In 2016, Times of Israel reported: “Iran was using commercial flights to Lebanon and Syria to send weapons to its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.”
In 2018, IFMAT reported that Fars Air Qeshm was flying Boeing 747 cargo aircraft from Tehran to Beirut carrying equipment for Hezbollah.
In 2025, IFMAT wrote, “Iran has employed Mahan Air with its fleet of Airbus A340s and an Airbus A300B4-622R to transport weapons to Hezbollah.” There are also accusations that Iran has used Meraj Airlines’ A319/A320s to transport weapons.
Iran’s already constrained commercial fleet
In 2025, Iran International stated, “More than half of its estimated 330 commercial planes are grounded, forcing Tehran to rely on leased or secondhand aircraft,” suggesting it has a fleet of around 160 operational aircraft.
Iran has to constantly acquire aircraft through shelf companies on the black market and smuggle in parts. These are kept operational with reverse-engineered parts, a smuggling network, and a lot of proverbial duct tape.
Retiring A340s have become popular in Iran because they are old enough to be comparatively simple to maintain, are becoming more available as they are phased out of service, still have plenty of flight hours remaining, and spares can be smuggled.
According to Planespotters.net, Mahan Air has a fleet of 38 aircraft, including two A300s, one A310, 15 A340s, 1 Boeing 747, 2 Boeing 777s, 16 BAe 146s, and one Fokker 50. It is possible that some of the 16 or 17 aircraft destroyed yesterday were these aircraft, although it is unclear at this time.
Featured Image: Papas Dos / Wikimedia Commons
