Khomeini Airport authorities denied reports of an Israeli airstrike on its premises Sunday, saying no incident had occurred on airport grounds, according to a public statement.
However, video footage shared with Iran International showed explosions and rising smoke in the vicinity of the international airport, suggesting nearby areas may have been targeted.
Large numbers of Tehran residents began leaving the city Sunday as Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple areas across the capital, including Niavaran, Azadi, and central districts, according to eyewitness accounts and traffic officials.
The head of Iran’s traffic police said vehicle flow at Tehran’s main exits had surged, especially on the Tehran-North highway, the Tehran-Qom route, and the Haraz road.
Israeli media said multiple designated targets in Tehran were struck simultaneously. One viewer from southern Tehran told Iran International, “They just hit now. Khamenei, end this war.”
Continued Israeli attacks would draw even more painful and forceful responses, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday, according to Iranian state media.
“We were not the ones who started this war, but we responded decisively,” he said.
Pezeshkian called Israel’s strike on Iranian territory via Iraqi airspace a clear act of aggression and urged Baghdad to better safeguard its skies.
