The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it carried out a major airstrike on Mehrabad International Airport, destroying 16 Iranian aircraft in what it described as a targeted operation against military assets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In a statement, the Israeli military said its air force conducted overnight strikes across Tehran, focusing on military infrastructure at the airport, which it alleged served as a key operational hub for the Guards’ overseas operations unit.
According to the statement, 16 aircraft belonging to the Quds Force were “precisely dismantled” during the operation.
Israel accused the Revolutionary Guards of using the airport to channel funds and weapons to allied armed groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah.
“Also targeted were several Iranian fighter jets that posed a threat to Israeli Air Force aircraft operating in Iranian airspace,” the Israeli military said.
The strikes formed part of a broader wave of attacks on Iranian military infrastructure on Saturday.
The Israeli military said more than 80 fighter jets participated in additional raids targeting missile launchers, command centres and other strategic sites across Tehran and central Iran.
“Over 80 Israeli Air Force fighter jets completed an additional wave of strikes targeting infrastructure belonging to the Iranian terror regime,” the statement said.
Among the sites hit was a military academy linked to the Revolutionary Guards.
READ ALSO: US, Israel Strike Iranian Airports, Destroy Aircraft Amid Escalating Conflict
Israel said the facility had been repurposed as an emergency military asset and was being used for operational activities, making it a legitimate target under the laws of armed conflict.
Other locations targeted included an underground command centre, missile storage facilities and launch sites that Israel said were being used to fire projectiles toward Israeli territory.
The latest strikes mark one of the largest military operations announced by Israel since the conflict with Iran escalated on February 28.
At the onset of the war, Israel said about 200 fighter jets were deployed in coordinated raids alongside the United States Armed Forces, describing it as the largest air operation in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
The continuing exchange of strikes has heightened tensions across the Middle East, raising concerns among international observers about the risk of a wider regional conflict.