Israel claims strike on aircraft linked to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport

The Israeli military announced that it had destroyed an aircraft linked to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an overnight strike at the Mehrabad International Airport. Mehrabad is one of Tehran's oldest and busiest airports and is used as both a civilian and military asset. The flight targeted was a Boeing 747 and belonged to the Iranian Air Force and was used by Iran's late ​Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and other senior leaders and military figures. Iran did not confirm the claims neither reported any civilian casualties associated with the strike.

The IDF claimed in a social media post that the flight was being used by senior Iranian officials and military figures for coordination, military procurement domestically and internationally with the “axis of resistance”. The aircraft was associated with the Late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and had symbolic and strategic importance.

IDF claimed that the damage to the flight will hinder the capacity of the Iran to coordinate with other leaders of the axis of resistance and will significantly decrease its logistical capabilities. IDF described the operation as precise strikes and asserted that it will continue to target this infrastructure. The operation was part of a broader aerial campaign in which Israel reported striking over 200 targets across western and central Iran, including missile production sites and defence installations.

In a separate strike, the IDF claimed to have destroyed a centre that was used by Iran to develop anti-satellite capabilities in space. The centre that was attacked was used to develop military space programs, including the development of the 'Shamran 1' satellite. It was built by the Iranian Ministry of Defence's Electronics Industries and launched into space in October 2024. IDF also claimed another attack at the space research centre of the Iranian Space Organisation in Tehran, last Friday.