How Israel’s Secret Blue Sparrow Broke a 5-Minute Deep Bunker in Tehran

According to a report by The Telegraph, the missile, known as Blue Sparrow, is designed to follow a quasi-ballistic trajectory that exits the Earth’s atmosphere before re-entering at high speed, making it difficult for air defense systems to intercept. Remnants of the missile have reportedly been found in western Iraq, along what analysts suspect was its flight path toward Tehran.

🎥 WATCH: ~50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets dismantled Ali Khamenei’s underground military bunker beneath the Iranian regime’s leadership complex in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/Nw0tvvQMRX

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 6, 2026

The Blue Sparrow missile, produced by Israel, has an estimated range of about 1,240 miles (approximately 2,000 kilometers). Measuring about 6.5 meters in length and weighing about 1.9 tons, the missile was originally developed as a target system to test air defense capabilities.

However, over time, the system was adapted into an air-to-ground offensive munition capable of engaging high-value targets at high speed.

The Blue Sparrow is part of a broader missile family that also includes the Black Sparrow and Silver Sparrow variants. These systems were originally designed to simulate Scud-type ballistic missiles, similar to those fired at Israel by Iraq during the Gulf War.

Because the missile leaves the atmosphere before descending toward its target, its trajectory shortens the warning time for defensive systems and complicates interception. According to defense analysts cited in The Telegraph report, this capability makes it particularly suitable for precision strikes against heavily guarded or time-sensitive targets without exposing manned aircraft to risk.

Israel is believed to have used the Blue Sparrow in a limited capacity before, possibly during the attacks on Iran in April 2024, when similar wreckage was reportedly discovered after the attacks.

Years of intelligence gathering

According to the report, the operation that killed Khamenei came after years of intelligence gathering by Israel’s elite signals intelligence unit, Unit 8200.

For more than two decades, the cyber intelligence division allegedly tracked the movements of the supreme leader’s bodyguards and infiltrated surveillance systems around his compound in Tehran, including traffic cameras.

Sources cited by The Telegraph said the assault had been planned for months, but the schedule was adjusted when intelligence indicated Khamenei would attend a meeting in person on Saturday morning.

Coordinated assault on Tehran

Iranian authorities reportedly expected any Israeli attack to occur overnight. Khamenei was said to have spent many nights inside a deeply fortified bunker beneath his compound, so deep that it reportedly took him five minutes to descend to it.

According to a Mirror report, the IDF said: “On the Friday of the attack, the IDF deliberately gave the impression that the army was closing for the weekend. We published photographs and information suggesting that IDF personnel and senior leaders were going home for Shabbat dinner.” The report further said that senior generals made sure they were seen leaving the headquarters and returning to their families.

But that was a strategy.

Instead of actually being with their families, the top generals returned, many of them in disguise, according to the Mirror report. Israeli forces subsequently launched a morning operation. The F-15 fighter jets reportedly took off around 7.30 am Iran time and reached their launch positions approximately two hours later. The attacks began at 9:40 a.m., with at least 30 precision strikes targeting the supreme leader’s compound.

At the same time, Israeli forces reportedly disrupted communications in the surrounding area, preventing attendees from immediately calling for help. Videos circulating on social media later showed smoke rising from multiple locations in Tehran, including the complex.

By 6pm, the attacks had caused heavy damage and at least six buildings within the complex were reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged.

The next morning, at 5 a.m. local time, Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei’s death.

American weapons used in the operation.

The United States also deployed new weapons systems during the broader attack on Iranian targets.

The Pentagon released images indicating the first combat use of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a long-range surface-to-surface missile with a range of approximately 310 miles. US forces also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, including a supposedly new variant, as well as HIMARS rockets.

According to Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command, US forces attacked more than 2,000 targets inside Iran and destroyed 17 Iranian ships during the initial phase of the conflict.

Israel said it had dropped around 2,000 bombs in the first 30 hours of the war.