Published Images of Russian Aircraft at Mehrabad and Tom Tugendhat’s Warning in British Parliament
Tom Tugendhat, referring to the Iranian national uprising and published images of Russian aircraft at Mehrabad, requested the Foreign Office to explain security activities and reports related to Iran’s government preparing for evacuation.
Tom Tugendhat, a member of the House of Commons and former British security minister, requested the British Foreign Secretary to explain the presence of Russian aircraft at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport during a parliamentary session, describing it as part of security developments related to the Iranian national uprising and concerns about “the ayatollahs preparing for fighting and fleeing.”
Tugendhat said in this regard: “We are witnessing Russian cargo aircraft entering Tehran and shaping the security and operational space.”
This statement by the British representative has drawn the attention and reaction of social media users, as videos and photos from Mehrabad Airport have been circulated over the past two days on various platforms, claiming to show aircraft of Russian origin. This content, coupled with Tugendhat’s remarks, has circulated widely and caused the topic to transcend a mere political claim and gain traction in the virtual space.
Some of these videos and images attempt to show that giant transport aircraft or jets with Russian design have been seen on Mehrabad’s runways. Although independent confirmation of the identity of these aircraft and their direct connection to Russian military forces remains unclear and more detailed analysis is needed, contact from Ramin Azer, the executive director and head of Imam Khomeini Airport City Company, and his statements on this matter have directed public opinion toward the accuracy of this news.
In a call whose destination is confidential, he stated: “The published photo was released due to a security oversight by the airport’s information protection team, as the employee in question was on leave during the security briefing on the 14th of Dey, and the head of the information protection team does not provide new security briefings for this group after employees return from leave. Therefore, the aforementioned employee, who had been serving with 13 years of experience in the airport’s transportation department, on the 15th of Dey noticed the unusual presence of a Russian private jet TU-324 on runway 29 of Mehrabad Airport, which caught his attention and he took a photo and posted it in a Telegram group as an interesting phenomenon.
A Russian foreign flight security official protested in a letter to our country’s Foreign Ministry, stating: “At the urgent request of Iranian officials on January 2, 2026, we sent this private jet to evacuate senior officials in special circumstances, and there was an agreement on the confidentiality of this flight. Now the Foreign Ministry has also sent a letter to the aforementioned official, apologizing and emphasizing that it will deal with the culprits.”
Tugendhat, following the published reports, has also referred to reports and said: “Resources and assets from Iran, including money and gold, are being withdrawn, which indicates that the Islamic Republic has planned for survival in the next phase.”
On the other hand, it should be emphasized that in the past, videos or images attributed to the presence of Russian fighters such as Su-35 in Tehran have also been circulated on social media, but fact-checking centers have warned that some of these videos have been fake or unreliable, and no official confirmation has been provided for the presence of such fighters in Iran.
In sum, Tom Tugendhat’s statements, along with visual content circulated on social networks, have led to a more serious investigation of the discussion regarding the possible presence of aircraft related to Russia at Mehrabad Airport and their role in Iran’s security developments, including the escape of Ali Khamenei.
