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A reported US airstrike on Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad has cast a pall over a budding humanitarian effort, with Iranian officials claiming a civilian aircraft was damaged at the airport — potentially disrupting an aid mission to India.

According to Iranian authorities, the aircraft — operated by Mahan Air — had been scheduled to travel to New Delhi later this week to collect essential medical supplies intended for the Iranian people. The mission, they said, was part of a broader humanitarian outreach amid escalating tensions in the region.

Reports indicate that the aircraft was expected to arrive in New Delhi on 1 April, where arrangements had been made for the transfer of medical consignments. The development comes shortly after India dispatched its first batch of humanitarian aid to Iran on 18 March, routed through the Iranian Red Crescent Society — a gesture warmly acknowledged by the Iranian embassy in the Indian capital.

In a note of gratitude, Iranian diplomats thanked the people of India for their support, underscoring the enduring ties between the two nations even amid geopolitical turbulence.

India has not issued a direct statement on the reported strike, but New Delhi has consistently maintained a cautious stance on the broader conflict, calling for restraint and emphasising the importance of safeguarding humanitarian operations and regional stability.

For its part, the United States has yet to officially confirm or comment on the reported strike at Mashhad airport, leaving Iranian claims unverified even as tensions continue to simmer.

Iranian officials, however, said the aircraft sustained damage during the reported US attack, raising concerns over civilian aviation safety and the disruption of critical aid corridors. The incident has added a new layer of complexity to an already volatile situation, where humanitarian efforts risk being overshadowed by intensifying military confrontation.

Mahan Air, a privately owned carrier with an extensive network spanning West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, now finds itself at the centre of a geopolitical flashpoint — where humanitarian intent and military action appear to have collided with unsettling consequences.

With PTI inputs