Iranian Boeing 737 takes off normally. Minutes later, ceiling panels start falling on passengers

An Iranian Boeing 737 bound for Kermanshah left Mashhad on Tuesday when video from inside the cabin showed passengers screaming during a sudden stretch of hard shaking. It was a domestic route flight operated by Sepehran Airlines.

The clip, shared by Fox News, citing Jam Press, appeared to capture ceiling panels coming down and fragments from overhead bins dropping into the cabin. People on board were shown holding seatbacks and raising their hands as some prayed aloud.

Jam Press reported that the jet may have taken engine damage and a blown tire on takeoff. The pilot declared an emergency and headed back to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport.

Jet returns to Mashhad after cabin panels drop during flight

The plane reached the ground safely, Jam Press said, citing NeedToKnow. Such frightening in-flight incidents are not unheard of, as when a Ryanair passenger was nearly sucked out of a window mid-flight. None of the 127 passengers and crew members was reported injured.

Officials temporarily shut one of the airport’s two runways. An investigation into the event is now underway.

Travelers were later moved to a different flight so they could complete their trip to Kermanshah. Such in-flight disruptions are not uncommon, as seen when Ryanair passengers allegedly fainted and threw up on a sweltering flight.

Accounts shared by Jam Press described the cabin as appearing to break apart in spots while the shaking continued. Falling panels and bin debris were said to have hit some people on board.

Years of international sanctions have made it hard for Iran’s airlines to obtain newer Western-built jets, authentic spare parts, and other upgrades. Carriers inside the country have had to keep older aircraft flying and handle difficult maintenance work.

According to Al Jazeera, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed 36 Iran-related sanctions on commercial and private airlines as part of a campaign labeled “Operation Economic Outcast.”

Those steps widened earlier penalties on privately owned Mahan Air and reached other Iranian aviation firms, plus companies that supply them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Under Operation Economic Outcast, we promised severe consequences for those providing financial lifelines to the Iranian regime.”

He added, “Today, we followed through on that promise with sanctions on companies that continue to support Mahan Air. Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”

Al Jazeera reported that Mahan Air has faced U.S. sanctions since 2011, when Washington accused the carrier of supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media, “After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s ‘novel’ solution is… more sanctions. Seriously?”