Azadi Indoor Stadium

Azadi Indoor Stadium
Azadi Indoor Stadium External View
Interactive map of Azadi Indoor Stadium
Full nameAzadi 12,000 Capacity Hall
Former namesSports Hall
LocationTehran, Iran
OwnerMinistry of Sport and Youth (Iran)
OperatorTehran Municipality
Capacity12,000 (Standing Room)
6,583 (Seating)[1]
Construction
Broke ground3 October 1970
Built1970–1971 (1 year)
Opened1 September 1974 (1974 Asian Games)
Demolished5 March 2026 (destroyed by Israeli-American airstrikes during the 2026 Iran War)
ArchitectAbdol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian
Tenants
Iran men's national volleyball team
Iran national futsal team

The Azadi Indoor Stadium, officially named Azadi 12,000 Capacity Hall (Persian: سالن دوازده هزار نفری آزادی), was an indoor sports arena in Tehran, Iran. The stadium had a seating capacity of 6,583 and standing room capacity of 12,000. It was destroyed during the 2026 American-Israeli war of aggression against Iran and hundreds of people were killed inside.[2][3][4]

History

Located within the Azadi Sport Complex, it was mainly used for volleyball, wrestling and futsal matches, but occasionally basketball games were played here. The stadium hosted Iran's national volleyball team, the FIVB Volleyball World League, and the 2014 FILA Wrestling World Cup.[5]

During the 2026 Iran war, a gathering of Iranian internal security forces at the stadium on 5 March was bombed by Israel and the United States, resulting in hundreds of Artesh and IRGC casualties.[4] The Indoor Stadium was completely destroyed by the blast.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Azadi Indoor Stadium in azadisportcomplex.com (in Persian)
  2. ^ a b "Israel, US intensify Iran strikes, targeting homes, hospitals, stadium". Al Jazeera. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Missile strike destroys 12,000-seat indoor arena at Tehran's Azadi complex". Iran International. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b Lieber, Dov (March 17, 2026). "Israel Is Hunting Down Iranian Regime Members in Their Hideouts, One by One". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  5. ^ Iran to host 2014 FILA Greco-Roman World Cup/

35°43′20″N 51°16′10″E / 35.72222°N 51.26944°E / 35.72222; 51.26944