Iran’s government acknowledged Tuesday that Bushehr International Airport requires full rebuilding after a direct U.S. missile strike, with spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani describing a collapsed terminal and debris from a destroyed Iran Air Airbus A319.
Iranian media outlets on Tuesday claimed that a parked passenger aircraft at Bushehr airport was destroyed in alleged joint airstrikes by US and Israeli forces.
State-affiliated Press TV shared an image purportedly showing the wreckage of an IranAir plane on a charred section of the tarmac, with debris scattered and smoke rising from the site.
The strikes over the past two weeks also damaged 12 bridges, two tunnels, a marine control tower, a meteorological center, and fishing boats, killing over 350 government employees on duty.
The U.S. says the targets were military assets tied to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route, amid a conflict that began in February 2026; analysts note the airport also serves as a base for F-4 fighters guarding nearby nuclear and oil sites.
There was no immediate official confirmation from US or Israeli authorities, and no information was available regarding casualties.
Earlier, the Mehr news agency said that Tehran’s Mehrabad airport — located inside the capital and which mainly handles domestic flights — was targeted by strikes.
The conflict, started on Saturday with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, showed no sign of abating as it entered its fourth day with loud blasts rocking Tehran.
Why Is Bushehr Important?
Bushehr is home to Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant and remains central to Tehran’s civilian nuclear programme. The facility, located in the southern port city along the Persian Gulf, is being expanded with additional reactor units built with Russian assistance.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom on Tuesday said it had halted construction work on the second and third units of the plant because of the ongoing US-Israeli air assault on Iran. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said explosions could be heard “just kilometres away” from the facility, although the plant itself was not being directly targeted.
Around 639 Russian personnel remain in Iran, with some evacuations already underway. Nearly 100 workers and their families were evacuated when the strikes began, and further evacuations will continue during pauses in air attacks.
The plant itself has not been directly targeted in recent US-Israeli strikes, and it was also not struck during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025, which focused on Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities rather than the Bushehr power station.
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