Israel assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026, using the advanced Blue Sparrow missile launched from an F-35 fighter jet, which followed a quasi-ballistic trajectory into near-space before striking his Tehran compound.
Blue Sparrow’s Deadly Path
The Israeli-developed Blue Sparrow, with a 1,240-mile (2,000 km) range, ascends rapidly out of the atmosphere, evading defenses, then re-enters at hypersonic speeds for precision impacts. Part of Operation Epic Fury—a joint US-Israeli strike—it hit Pasteur Street’s leadership compound during a morning meeting of top officials, killing Khamenei, IRGC chief Mousavi, and dozens more.
Years of Intelligence Prep
Israel’s Unit 8200 tracked Khamenei’s routines for over 20 years via hacked traffic cameras, intercepted comms, and bodyguard patterns around the site. CIA intel confirmed the rare above-ground gathering after weeks in a deep bunker; jets launched at 6 AM Israel time, striking at 9:40 AM Tehran time with ~30 missiles.
Tactical Deception
Israel feigned a quiet weekend, achieving surprise as Khamenei surfaced for the session, assuming safety in daylight. Debris scattered to western Iraq; the blast’s force underscored the weapon’s power, originally for air defense tests but repurposed for decapitation strikes.
