The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out a significant airstrike, reportedly destroying an underground bunker in Tehran linked to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
According to the IDF, around 50 Israeli fighter jets participated in the operation, deploying approximately 100 bombs on a target they identified as being beneath Iran’s leadership complex in central Tehran.
Stunning aerial footage reveals multiple explosions as bombs descend on the Ayatollah’s complex, with dense clouds of dark smoke rising over the city.
The bunker was allegedly intended as a secure hideout for Khamenei in times of conflict, though he was killed before he could seek refuge there.
The IDF stated that the extensive compound, which spanned several streets and featured numerous entry points and meeting rooms for senior Iranian regime members, remained in use by officials after Khamenei’s death.
As of now, there has been no official response from Iranian authorities regarding the strike.
Israeli airstrikes pounded the capitals of Iran and Lebanon on Friday, as the US said it had struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea in its unrelenting campaign against the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships.
Israeli Defence Force obliterated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s underground bunker in a massive airstrike over Tehran
Astonishing aerial footage shows several bombs being dropped over the slain Supreme Leader’s complex and exploding
The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict.
Tens of thousands have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks in the Middle East at the end of a full week of bombardment, which US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned was ‘about to surge dramatically.’
Israel’s military said Friday morning it had begun ‘a broad-scale wave of strikes’ on Tehran, Iran’s capital.
Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area.
Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah in an area that is home to multiple missile bases.
The Israeli military said strikes have already destroyed most of Iran’s air defences and missile launchers.
The war has escalated to affect countries across the Middle East and beyond.
Early Friday, Iran fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
According to the IDF, the compound had continued to be used by officials following Khamenei’s assassination
In Lebanon, where the war has rekindled fighting between Israel and Iran-allied Hezbollah militants, Israel launched a series of airstrikes late Thursday into Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas. Motorists jammed roads trying to flee or seek shelter.
The US and Israel have battered Iran with nationwide strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear programme.
In addition to Israel, Iran’s attacks have targeted its Arab neighbours, disrupted oil supplies and snarled global air travel.
The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 120 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries.
Six US troops have been killed.
The US military said early Friday that it had struck an Iranian drone carrier, with footage released by the army’s Central Command showing black-and-white footage of the burning vessel.
The drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, is a converted container ship with a 180-meter-long runway for drones.
The vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without needing to refuel in ports, reports said at the time of its 2025 inauguration.
Earlier this week, an American submarine sank an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka as it was returning from an exercise hosted by the Iranian navy that the US also joined.
Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 crew members and recovered 87 bodies.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
