Massive blasts near Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran, after Israeli airstrikes

Dramatic footage circulating on social media shows large explosions and fires near Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran following a new wave of Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian capital in the early hours of March 7.

Iranian state media reported that an Israeli strike hit an area near the airport, the country’s primary international hub.

Videos shared on social media show multiple explosions lighting up the night sky as thick columns of smoke rise from the area.

Residents living near the airport said they saw what appeared to be commercial planes parked on the tarmac burning as a massive fireball and heavy smoke filled the air.

Several people described powerful blasts shaking parts of the city overnight, with loud booms heard across Tehran.

Images carried by Iranian media also showed a huge ball of fire and smoke billowing from the direction of Mehrabad Airport, rising behind a high-rise apartment complex in northern Tehran.

The Israeli military said it carried out an “extensive” series of strikes targeting regime-linked sites in Tehran.

People on the ground described it as the “worst night since the war began,” telling CNN the bombardment was more intense than anything they had experienced before.