50 Israeli fighter jets dismantled Ali Khamenei's underground bunker: IDF
Tel Aviv, March 6
As many as 50 Air Force fighter jets were involved in the attack on Iranian regime's leadership compound in Tehran on February 28 that led to the assassination of country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Israel Defence Forces revealed on Friday.
"Approximately 50 Air Force fighter jets, with precise guidance from the Intelligence Directorate and in cooperation with the Anti-Terrorism Directorate, attacked Ali Khamenei's underground bunker, which was built beneath the leadership complex of the Iranian terrorist regime in the heart of Tehran," read a statement issued by the IDF.
"The underground bunker, built beneath the compound and used as a secure emergency asset for the leader to conduct combat, was eliminated before he could use it in Operation 'Roar of the Harrier.' After Khamenei's assassination, the compound continued to be used by senior Iranian regime officials," it added.
The IDF mentioned that the Iranian regime had invested its efforts in establishing the underground complex for several years with the aim of establishing a place for it to advance its military plans.
"The underground bunker spread over entire streets in the heart of Tehran and included numerous entry points and meeting rooms for senior figures in the Iranian terrorist regime. The compound was attacked after a lengthy and thorough intelligence gathering and investigation conducted by the Military Intelligence Service," the IDF statement detailed.
"The leadership compound served as the central and most important headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime. The destruction of the underground bunker deepens the damage to the Iranian terrorist regime's command and control capabilities," it stated further.
Earlier this week, the IDF said that it had struck the Iranian regime's Leadership Compound and the central headquarters have been dismantled.
"This command headquarters was one of the most heavily secured assets in Iran. The compound that housed the regime's most senior forum was struck by the IAF overnight using precise intelligence. The leaders behind this terror regime, and the headquarters in which they sat, have been eliminated," IDF posted on X on March 3.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The precision and scale of this operation is staggering. 50 fighter jets! It shows what modern intelligence and air power can achieve. Makes you think about the importance of air defense systems for any nation's security.
A direct strike in the heart of Tehran... This is an act of war by any definition. The region is already a tinderbox. India must tread very carefully and advocate for de-escalation. Our diaspora in the Gulf could be affected if tensions spill over. 🙏
While the target was a state sponsor of terror, the article reads very much like an IDF press release. I'd like to see more independent verification of the details, especially the claim about the bunker's size and purpose. Healthy skepticism is important.
'Roar of the Harrier' – quite a name for the op. The geopolitical chessboard just got shaken. Iran's proxies will surely respond. Hope our forces on the western border are on high alert for any indirect fallout.
The technology and intelligence gap on display here is a lesson for all nations, including ours. We need to keep investing in our own R&D and satellite/cyber capabilities. Can't afford to be decades behind.
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