--- title: "Iranian Government Aircraft Make Mysterious Dash To Oman" description: "Iran's presidential A340 and two A321s have flown to Oman days after Israel declared air superiority over the country." date: "2025-06-18" modified: "2025-06-18" authors: - name: "Joseph Trevithick" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/gaggle-of-iranian-government-aircraft-make-mysterious-dash-to-oman" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Iran" - "Iranian Air Force" - "Israel" - "Middle East" - "News & Features" --- # Iranian Government Aircraft Make Mysterious Dash To Oman ![Iran's primary presidential plane and two other government airliners have touched down in the Omani capital Muscat.]() *A stock picture of Iran's presidential Airbus A340 seen during a visit to Turkey in 2018. Gokhan Balci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images* Iran's primary presidential plane and two other government airliners have touched down in the Omani capital Muscat. The highly unusual arrivals come amid reports that the regime in Tehran is looking to negotiate an end to [the ongoing conflict with Israel](), as well as [growing speculation]() that the United States may be about to directly enter the fighting in a major way. Where exactly the Iranian aircraft, a pair of Airbus A321s and an Airbus A340, originally departed from is unclear. The trio of aircraft used the callsigns JJ25, JJ26, and JJ28. At the time of writing, there has been no official word about the purpose of the flights or who might be on them. https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1935356267968475285 https://twitter.com/avischarf/status/1935348560926752813 Publicly available air traffic control recordings suggest that a fourth aircraft from Iran may be inbound to Muscat. However, there does not appear to be any clear indication of this yet from available online flight tracking data. https://twitter.com/thenewarea51/status/1935342212692275281 As noted, the Iranian A340, which carries the Iranian registration code EP-IGA, has been used to transport Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in the past, including to the United States for the main annual United Nations General Assembly meeting last year. https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1838155204971139519 There are several possible reasons for the arrival of the Iranian aircraft in Oman. A major Iranian delegation could have arrived in Muscat for new negotiations around ending the current conflict with Israel. Iran and Oman have solid diplomatic ties, and the latter [has often served as an intermediary]() between the regime in Tehran and the West. Oman had just recently been facilitating [talks between the United States and Iran]() over the latter country's nuclear ambitions. Iran [has been reportedly reaching]() out to foreign partners about the possibility of a deal to end the current crisis, though publicly the regime in Tehran [remains defiant]() in the face of ongoing Israeli strikes. "They want to negotiate. I ask: why didn't they negotiate two weeks ago," U.S. President Donald Trump [told reporters today](), while also raising the prospect of an Iranian delegation visiting the White House. "It is very late to be talking." https://twitter.com/glcarlstrom/status/1935341702174441705 "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump also said when asked about whether the U.S. military might begin to launch its own strikes on Iran. https://twitter.com/selinawangtv/status/1935342135840006639 There remains no clear evidence of American forces taking a new offensive role in the conflict, though a major U.S. build-up is continuing, as you can read more about [here](). Online flight tracking data today did show two U.S. Air Force KC-135 aerial refueling tankers flying eastward over Israel and then up along the Jordanian-Iraqi border, the purpose of which is also unclear. https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1935353457848041869 https://twitter.com/ILRedAlert/status/1935345712545349933 In response to Trump's remarks, Iran's mission to the United Nations made a post on X publicly rejecting the possibility of a White House visit and negotiations while "under duress." Israeli authorities [have also rejected talk]() of a diplomatic resolution to the current conflict. https://twitter.com/lrozen/status/1935347859282436542 If the Iranian aircraft touching down in Oman are not tied to a diplomatic mission, they could also be carrying individuals seeking to escape the current conflict. Israel has notably been striking Iran's capital [Tehran, as well as other locations]() across western Iran, with virtual impunity for days now. Similarly, the movement of the aircraft could be about keeping them safe from [expanding Israeli strikes on Iranian air bases]() in the event that they might be called upon to help senior regime officials evacuate in the future. As an interesting comparative case, during the Gulf War in 1991, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered much of his country's air force [to flee to neighboring Iran](), despite the historical enmity between the two regimes, to escape destruction by the U.S.-led coalition. ![]() *A satellite image taken on June 17, 2025, showing what little is left of an Iranian Air Force KC-707 aerial refueling tanker following an Israeli strike on Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport. *Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies** A number of Iranian airliners, including ones belonging to Mahan Air and Fars Air Qeshm, which have been linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were previously tracked leaving Tehran over the weekend. As *TWZ* [noted at the time](), those flights were already risky given Israeli air activity. https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1933834199900786768 https://twitter.com/wipljw/status/1933916497992122746 *TWZ* has reached out to the White House and the U.S. State Department for additional information. In response to our queries, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also directed us to contact the White House. With Iran's main presidential plane and other government-operated airliners now in Oman, more details about why they have made the trip may now begin to emerge. *Howard Altman contributed to this story.* *Contact the author: joe@twz.com* ## Author Joseph is *TWZ’s* Deputy Editor, helping to oversee the site’s highly experienced and dedicated team, while also writing informative and impactful defense and national security content. He lives right in the thick of it in the Washington, D.C. area. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Bluesky]()