'War crime': Delhi-bound aid aircraft hit in US strike at Mashhad airport, Iran alleges

A Mahan Air aircraft scheduled to fly to New Delhi was reportedly struck during a United States airstrike at Iran's Mashhad International Airport. The plane was expected to facilitate the transport of humanitarian aid, including medicines, but the strike disrupted a planned humanitarian mission to India.

"Mahan Air aircraft was hit by the US in an airstrike at Mashhad Airport. The plane was reportedly scheduled to fly to Delhi for humanitarian aid," Iran sources informed news agency ANI.

The incident took place amidst Iran coordinating humanitarian shipments with India. The disruption has raised fresh concerns over the safety of civilian and aid-linked aviation operations in the region amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

The Iranian Embassy in India termed the alleged strike a war crime.

In March, India dispatched aid consignments to Iran, underlining what New Delhi described as long-standing civilisational and humanitarian ties between the two countries.

While there has been no immediate official confirmation from the US regarding the reported strike, the development is likely to further strain already tense relations between Washington and Tehran. The two nations have had a long history of friction, particularly over Iran's regional activities and military capabilities.

Talking about the airlines, Mahan Air is has been under US sanctions for years, with Washington alleging links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and accusing it of transporting personnel and equipment linked to regional conflicts. It is seen as one of Iran's largest private carriers.