US Strike Damages India‑Bound Iranian Plane at Mashhad Airport, Tehran Condemns It as ‘War Crime’

A civilian aircraft operated by Iran’s Mahan Air was reportedly struck during a United States military airstrike at Mashhad International Airport in northeastern Iran, Iranian officials say, disrupting plans for a humanitarian mission involving New Delhi.

According to Iranian sources, the aircraft was on the ground at the airport at the time of the attack. It had been due to depart for New Delhi in the coming days to take part in a coordinated humanitarian operation by transporting humanitarian supplies such as medicines, medical equipment, and other essential goods.

The operation is part of ongoing humanitarian cooperation between Iran and India. Previously, shipments of humanitarian aid have already been sent from India earlier this month.  The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization has strongly condemned the attack on the Iranian civilian aircraft. The attack on the civilian aircraft, which was on a humanitarian mission, has been described by the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization as a “war crime” and a clear violation of international law. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization has cited provisions of the Chicago Convention (1944) and the Montreal Convention (1971), which classify such acts of putting civilian aircraft in peril as serious offenses. The Geneva Conventions have also been cited in this context.

Mahan Air is one of the largest private airlines in Iran and has been under US sanctions for a long time. The US has accused Mahan Air of having ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has claimed that the airline’s planes were used to transport equipment related to regional conflicts. As yet, there has been no official confirmation or comments from the US government regarding the reported strike; however, there is a lack of information regarding the extent of damage and casualties. The incident has highlighted concerns regarding the safety of civilian planes in conflict zones; in recent days, there have been several incidents of attacks on commercial aviation infrastructure in Iran as part of the hostilities.

As the situation is fluid in nature, the reported strike is likely to have implications in terms of diplomatic ties, particularly in the context of US-Iran relations and India’s humanitarian ties in Iran.