HIGHMILITARY
IDF destroys Ali Khamenei's personal aircraft at Mehrabad Airport, Tehran — IDF publishes graphic
·Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran
The IDF shared a graphic on Day 17 depicting former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's personal aircraft and Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, confirming forces destroyed the aircraft. The deliberate public announcement signals IDF targeting of regime-personal assets and its psychological operations posture against the Iranian leadership.
The IDF published a graphic on Day 17 (Fox News, ~19:30 UTC) showing the aircraft of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, stating Israeli forces destroyed the aircraft on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Mehrabad is a major airport in western Tehran used for domestic and VVIP flights. The IDF's public graphic announcement is a deliberate psychological and informational operation, demonstrating the ability to reach and destroy personal regime assets in the Iranian capital.
The targeting of Khamenei's aircraft follows earlier Day 17 IDF wide-scale strikes on Tehran and is consistent with the campaign to degrade Iranian leadership symbols and infrastructure. The IDF referred to Khamenei as 'former Supreme Leader,' consistent with Trump's Day 17 statement that he was uncertain whether Mojtaba Khamenei — his reported successor — was still alive.
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