IDF: Airstrike hits Khamenei-linked underground military bunker in Tehran

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried out an airstrike targeting an underground military bunker beneath a leadership compound in Tehran that it said was associated with Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, the Israeli military said about 50 fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force struck the underground facility after what it described as a prolonged intelligence-gathering effort by the IDF Intelligence Directorate, Caliber.Az reports. 

The bunker, located beneath a compound used by senior officials of the Iranian leadership, was described by the Israeli military as an emergency command centre intended for use by the supreme leader during times of conflict.

According to the IDF, the underground complex extended beneath several streets in central Tehran and included multiple entrances as well as meeting rooms used by senior Iranian officials. The military said the site had been used to coordinate activities directed against Israel and its allies.

The Israeli military added that the strike was intended to degrade the Iranian leadership’s command and control capabilities. It also stated that Khamenei had been killed earlier in Israel’s military campaign, referred to by Israel as Operation Roaring Lion, before he could use the facility.

By Sabina Mammadli