Explosions and fires have been reported at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Saturday as tensions between Iran, Israel and the US escalated further. Videos and pictures circulating on social media showed fire erupting from the airport premises. According to eyewitnesses, there are reports that a number of planes on the tarmac are now engulfed in fire.

The developments came shortly after Israel announced that it had launched a “broad-scale” wave of strikes targeting locations in the Iranian capital.

Explosions and fires reported at Mehrabad Airport

According to eyewitnesses and videos shared on social media, several explosions have been reported at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. Thick columns of smoke have also been seen rising from the airport's premises as fire has engulfed several areas of the tarmac.

People present nearby reported that the aircraft parked on the tarmac appeared to be burning. However, officials have not yet confirmed the extent of the damage or whether there were casualties at the airport.

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Iranian state media also reported an explosion in the western part of Tehran around the same time, indicating that multiple locations may have been affected during the strikes.

Israel confirms ‘broad-scale’ strikes on Tehran

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, “The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) has begun a broad-scale wave of strikes”, targeting government sites in Tehran. The announcement came amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between the two sides.

Reports from the region suggested that explosions were also heard in the Iranian city of Kermanshah, which houses several missile bases, Associated Press reported.

The strikes appeared to be part of a wider military campaign as tensions continued to rise across West Asia.

Explosions heard in Tel Aviv after Iranian missile launches

Earlier in the day, Israeli authorities said Iran had launched another round of missiles towards Israel. Shortly afterwards, a series of explosions was reported in Tel Aviv. Officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties from the incident.

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Conflict enters seventh day

The conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US entered its seventh day on Friday. Reportedly, Israeli forces have attacked several areas in Tehran and Beirut, but Iran has retaliated with retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and Gulf nations that have US military bases.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview that the operation could involve what he described as the “biggest bombing campaign” against Iran. Speaking to FOX Business host Larry Kudlow, Bessent said, “Tonight will be our biggest bombing campaign, and we’ll do the most damage to the Iranian missile launchers, the factories that build the missiles, and we are substantially degrading them.”

The latest escalation follows coordinated strikes by Israel and the US on February 28 after negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme stalled.