Israel claims to have destroyed Iranian government VIP Airbus A340 at Mehrabad airport
March 16, 2026
Reports emerging from Israel claim that a government-operated Airbus A340-300 used by senior Iranian officials has been destroyed during an airstrike at Mehrabad International Airport, though independent confirmation of the aircraft’s fate remains limited.
The Israeli Air Force posted on social media that it had “destroyed the plane of the leader of the Iranian terror regime” at Tehran’s main domestic airport. The aircraft referenced is widely believed to be EP-IGA, an A340-300 that forms part of Iran’s small government transport fleet.
חיל-האוויר השמיד את מטוסו של מנהיג משטר הטרור האיראני בשדה התעופה ״מהאראבד״ שבטהרן – המטוס שימש את עלי ח׳אמנהאי, מנהיג משטר הטרור האיראני, בכירים נוספים ממשטר הטרור וגורמים בצבא איראן, לקידום רכש צבאי ולניהול קשרים עם מדינות הציר באמצעות טיסות פנים וחוץ.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 16, 2026
השמדת המטוס פוגעת… pic.twitter.com/lOtRRIHTff
Israeli officials said the aircraft had been used by Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian figures for official travel and diplomatic missions.
“The destruction of the plane impairs the ability to coordinate between the leadership of the Iranian terror regime and Axis countries, in building military power, and in the regime’s rehabilitation capability,” the IAF stated. “Thus, another strategic asset has been removed from the Iranian regime.”
However, while the aircraft is often described as Iran’s equivalent of “Air Force One”, its role in practice has been somewhat broader.
Iran’s ‘Air Force One’: The Airbus A340 used by government leaders
Iran does not operate a single permanently assigned aircraft for its leadership. Instead, a small fleet of government-operated aircraft is used to transport senior officials.
The Airbus A340-300 has typically been the most capable aircraft in this fleet due to its long range and widebody capacity, making it suitable for intercontinental travel and diplomatic missions.
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) used the Airbus A340-313X aircraft (Serial 5-8405, registration EP-IGA) to carry the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to the New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) September 23, 2024
This aircraft (MSN:257) was part of the fleet of Air Canada (C-GDVV),… pic.twitter.com/ILWzTpcUW8
Iran’s government transport fleet is believed to include:
- one Airbus A340-300
- one Airbus A321-200
- two BAe Avro RJ85 regional jets
These aircraft are operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, which handles VIP transport duties for the Iranian state.
Although the A340 has carried Khamenei on some occasions, it has also been used for presidential delegations, government officials and diplomatic missions. The Supreme Leader himself travels abroad only rarely.
The A340 involved in the reports has had a long and varied operational history.
According to fleet databases, the aircraft first entered service in 1999 with Air Canada before moving between several commercial operators over the following decade. These included:
- Air Jamaica
- Turkish Airlines
- Airblue
It eventually joined the Iranian government fleet in 2015 and has since carried several different Iranian registrations before appearing most recently as EP-IGA.
Striking an aircraft at Mehrabad is not an easy task
The destruction of a large aircraft at Mehrabad would be notable from an operational perspective.
While Tehran’s main international airport is Imam Khomeini International Airport, Mehrabad remains a major aviation hub and houses military facilities as well as government aircraft.
The airport is located within the densely populated western districts of Tehran and is surrounded by urban infrastructure, which can make targeting aircraft on the ground difficult without causing wider damage.
Satellite imagery has previously shown aircraft parked in dispersed areas around the airport, sometimes among derelict airframes, in an apparent attempt to complicate targeting.
The runway at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport has been blocked with parked buses and helicopters, apparently to make it unusable and prevent further strikes or aircraft operations.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 12, 2026
Satellite imagery from March 7 also shows visible damage at the airport following heavy bombing during… pic.twitter.com/GyG8NB2LCo
As with many developments during the ongoing conflict, the status of the aircraft has not yet been independently verified.
Neither the Iranian government nor the Iranian military has publicly confirmed the destruction of the aircraft. Independent satellite imagery analysis may ultimately determine whether the A340 was indeed destroyed or merely damaged.
If confirmed, the loss would represent both a symbolic and practical blow to Iran’s limited government transport capability, removing the only widebody aircraft available for long-range diplomatic travel.
Featured image: Mark Bess / Wikimedia
