Mehrabad Strike: Iran Condemns 'Cowardly Act', Israel Says 16 IRGC Aircraft Destroyed

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 20:43 IST

Iran warned of retaliation after Israeli strikes on Mehrabad Airport. Foreign Minister Araghchi condemned the attack. Iran also accused the US of hitting a desalination plant.

Iran has warned it will respond with force after Israeli strikes reportedly targeted Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned the alleged attack, saying targeting civilian aviation facilities was unacceptable. “Targeting our airports is a cowardly act and we will respond to it with force," Araghchi said in remarks reported by Iranian media.

The reaction came after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out a wave of overnight airstrikes on Tehran, destroying 16 aircraft belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force at Mehrabad Airport.

According to the Israeli military, the airport had been used by the Quds Force as a logistical hub to support Iran-aligned militant groups across the Middle East, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The IDF said aircraft operating from the airport had been used to transport weapons and cash to allied groups in the region.

“Aircraft loaded with weapons and cash took off from the airport numerous times and landed across the region for the use of the Iranian terror regime’s proxies," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Israel said the strikes were aimed at disrupting the Quds Force’s ability to supply and fund its regional network of allied militant groups.

Iran Accuses US of Striking Desalination Plant

Separately, Iran has accused the United States of targeting a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island, claiming the attack disrupted water supplies to around 30 villages.

Foreign Minister Araghchi said the strike hit civilian infrastructure and warned that such actions could have serious consequences.

“The U.S. committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted," he wrote in a post on X.

News world Mehrabad Strike: Iran Condemns 'Cowardly Act', Israel Says 16 IRGC Aircraft Destroyed

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