The late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was lured to his death and blown up by a missile that travels to the edge of space, Israel has revealed.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the Ayatollah felt safe enough to meet with officials at his compound, despite the build up of American warships off the coast and strikes on the country last year. Israeli fighters launched about 30 missiles – including the Blue Sparrows that travel to the edge of space before hitting targets.
The operation on Saturday was carried out amid a plan of deception that would make it appear as though Israel was pausing operations. The IDF said: “On the Friday of the attack, the IDF deliberately gave the impression that the military was shutting down for the weekend.
“We released photos and information suggesting that IDF personnel and top leadership were going home for Shabbat dinner.” Top generals then made sure they were seen leaving headquarters and returning to their families.
But they secretly returned later, with many returning in disguise. The IDF jets took off and eventually launched Blue Sparrow missiles at about 9:40am local time with about 30 being fired at the compound in the heart of Tehran.
The Blue Sparrows, which are made in Israel, can be fired from a range of 1,240 miles and were originally made to test air defence systems, reports the Daily Mail.
But they have been adapted to fit other purposes and are now also used as air-to-surface missiles due to their high speeds. They have the ability to exit and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and are very difficult to intercept.
