Israeli Air Force Destroys Late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Aircraft in Tehran

Israel's air force destroyed a plane used by Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, the Israeli military announced on Monday, March 16, 2026. The strike targeted the aircraft as a symbolic and strategic action amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28, 2026, during joint United States-Israeli air strikes on Tehran. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since been appointed as Iran's third Supreme Leader, though he is reportedly receiving medical treatment in Russia after being wounded in the same strikes that killed his father.

Ali Khamenei served as Iran's Supreme Leader from 1989 until his death on February 28, 2026, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the region. He succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, who established the principle of Velayat-e Faqih as the basis for clerical rule in Iran. The Islamic Republic has historically rejected hereditary succession as incompatible with its founding ideology, distinguishing itself from monarchical systems. Mojtaba Khamenei, born on September 8, 1969, is the second child and son of Ali Khamenei.

Late leader reportedly opposed his son's succession Reports emerging after the appointment indicate that Ali Khamenei had previously expressed opposition to his son succeeding him as Supreme Leader. According to reporting cited by Rzeczpospolita, the late leader feared that a father-to-son transfer of power would undermine the Islamic Republic's legitimacy and give it the appearance of a hereditary monarchy. This concern reflected a core tension within the system he led for decades, where clerical authority was meant to derive from religious qualification rather than bloodline. The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei despite these reported reservations has drawn attention from analysts examining the regime's ideological coherence under pressure. An analysis published by El País described the move as the Iranian regime sacrificing its Islamic legitimacy as an unexpected consequence of the war.

New Supreme Leader reportedly wounded and treated in Moscow Mojtaba Khamenei, who has served as Iran's third Supreme Leader since March 2026, is reportedly in Russia for medical treatment following wounds sustained in the strikes that killed his father, according to reporting by Super Express and events.interia.pl. The circumstances of his travel to Moscow have not been officially confirmed by Iranian authorities, according to available sources. His absence from Iran during the early weeks of his leadership has raised questions about the stability and continuity of governance in Tehran. Russia's role in the crisis has drawn separate attention, with Greek newspaper Kathimerini publishing an analysis on March 16 examining the strategic benefits Moscow may be drawing from the broader Middle East conflict. The destruction of the government aircraft at Mehrabad Airport adds another dimension to the ongoing Israeli campaign, which has targeted both military and symbolic assets linked to the Iranian leadership.

Aircraft strike seen as symbolic alongside military objectives The Israeli military's decision to destroy Khamenei's former government plane at Mehrabad Airport was characterized as both a symbolic and strategic move, according to reporting from multiple outlets including Mediafax and geekweek.interia.pl. The strike came more than two weeks after Ali Khamenei's death in the February 28 joint US-Israeli air strikes, suggesting a continued Israeli campaign to degrade assets associated with the Iranian leadership. Mehrabad Airport, located in western Tehran, serves as a hub for government and military aviation, making it a strategically significant target beyond its symbolic value. The broader conflict between Israel and Iran, which escalated dramatically with the killing of the Supreme Leader, continues to reshape the political and military landscape of the Middle East. No confirmed information is available on Iranian casualties or damage beyond the aircraft itself in this specific strike.