Dramatic footage has emerged that captures the moment around 50 fighter jets blasted the secret underground bunker of Iran's slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran early Friday—just days after he was killed before he could retreat into the heavily fortified hideout.
About 100 bombs were unleashed in a series of devastating explosions at the compound where the unsuspecting supreme leader and dozens of his top henchmen were killed last Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said. The underground bunker—which is said to have spanned several streets—was still being used by many senior Iranian officials after the death of Ali Khamenei, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Destruction from the Sky
Aerial footage released by the IDF shows the moment the bunker — described as "one of the Iranian leadership's most important military command centers" — was completely destroyed in the strike.
"The underground bunker was built beneath the compound and was a secure emergency asset for managing the war by the leader, who was eliminated before he managed to use it," the military said, according to the Times of Israel.
The site — located directly beneath the heavily guarded headquarters of Ali Khamenei — reportedly had "many entry points and rooms for gatherings of senior members of the Iranian terror regime."
Leaving No Stones Unturned
The compound was also the same place where Israeli fighter jets carried out the opening strike of the war — dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" — about a week earlier.
Israel reportedly used a powerful ballistic missile that reduced the building of Ali Khamenei to rubble, killing the authoritarian cleric along with dozens of officials and several members of his family.
Before the strike, Khamenei was believed to spend most nights inside a deep underground bunker, where he stayed to protect himself from possible attacks.
The United States and Israel continued launching strikes across Iran through Friday, focusing on the country's military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program.
At the same time, Iran fired missiles and drones toward Israel as well as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — all nations that host American forces.
