TEHRAN, 11 May 2004 — Iran’s reformist government has opened an investigation into the mysterious closure of Tehran’s new airport by the armed forces on its first day of operations, local media reported yesterday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards closed the Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday, using military vehicles to block the runway, after just one of six scheduled international flights had touched down.
A Turkish-led consortium operating the airport terminal was ordered to withdraw its staff and equipment. The Cabinet said those responsible should be prosecuted.
“The Cabinet of ministers expressed grave regret over the incidents that took place against legal frameworks and by the intervention of irresponsible elements,” the ISNA student news agency reported.
Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi named two lawmakers to investigate the closure which he said was “a disaster and a disgrace for the country”, the official IRNA news agency said.
The new airport, 28 miles (45 km) south of Tehran, is the fruition of a three decades old project to replace Mehrabad International Airport in central Tehran.
