Photo: The Jerusalem Post
On Sunday, 15 June, the Israeli Air Force conducted an airstrike on Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
According to the Israeli military, the strike was directed against an Iranian refuelling plane that was at the airport. This step is associated with Israel’s attempts to establish superiority in Iranian airspace amid the escalating conflict between the two countries.
Photos of a column of smoke rising over the city after the strike were posted on social media accounts associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Mashhad, Iran’s second most populous city, is located approximately 2,300 km from Israel, and this airstrike was the deepest in range since the start of Operation Rising Lion, which the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) launched on Friday.
This is not the first Israeli strike on Iranian territory as part of the escalation of the conflict. Previous strikes have largely focused on the infrastructure of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and missile depots.
Iran has not yet provided an official reaction to the attack in Mashhad. However, the situation is expected to deteriorate further as both sides continue to increase military activity.
