Jerusalem, March 16 (NationPress) – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday the destruction of an aircraft utilized by Iran's high-ranking officials at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. They asserted that this strike would impede the coordination efforts between Tehran and its regional allies. Additionally, Israel reported conducting attacks on various infrastructures across several Iranian cities.

According to the IDF's statement, the destroyed aircraft had been employed for the travel of senior political and military leaders for both domestic and international missions. The military emphasized that the removal of this aircraft would disrupt communication channels between Iran's leadership and its allied factions in the region, hinder Tehran's military expansion, and restrict its ability to recover from previous losses.

The aircraft in question was identified as an Airbus A340, which had been previously used to transport key figures such as President Masoud Pezeshkian and at times, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, for international diplomatic engagements. As of now, Iranian officials have yet to confirm the strike, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Mehrabad Airport, situated in western Tehran, stands as one of the oldest aviation facilities in the capital. While Imam Khomeini International Airport primarily manages long-haul international flights, Mehrabad serves as the country's most active domestic airport and accommodates military operations, including units from the Iranian Air Force.

On a related note, the IDF stated that it targeted locations in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz, marking the 17th day of the US-Israel campaign against Iran.

Simultaneously, US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that NATO could face a troubling future if its allies do not assist the US in maintaining the security of the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by the Financial Times.

In a phone interview with the British publication, Trump reiterated his call for European allies to participate in US operations concerning the strait, which is a crucial global oil transport route.

He pointed out that Europe benefits significantly from the safe passage through this waterway and should ensure that "nothing adverse occurs there." He cautioned that NATO's future could be "very bleak" if allies respond negatively or remain unresponsive to the US's request.

Trump reminded that the United States had previously supported Europe on the Ukraine crisis and now it was time to see if Europe would reciprocate.