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Israel used the Blue Sparrow, an air-launched ballistic missile that briefly exits Earth’s environment earlier than hanging at excessive pace, within the strike that killed Khamenei.
A photograph of the Blue Sparrow missile (Social Media)/Iraqi Shia clerics maintain portraits of Khamenei in Baghdad (AFP)
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28, 2026, in a serious strike carried out throughout coordinated Israeli and US army operations concentrating on senior Iranian management and strategic services throughout the nation, thus dramatically escalating tensions in West Asia.
A number of media experiences mentioned Israel used a sophisticated jet-launched ballistic weapon generally known as the Blue Sparrow, typically described as a “missile from area” due to the trajectory it follows earlier than hanging its goal.
The missile reportedly climbed towards the sting of Earth’s environment earlier than plunging again towards its goal at extraordinarily excessive pace, hanging the compound the place Iran’s political and army management had gathered.
WHAT IS THE BLUE SPARROW MISSILE?
The weapon believed to have been used within the strike, the Blue Sparrow, is a sophisticated air-launched ballistic missile developed by Israel.
In accordance with The Telegraph, the missile has a variety of roughly 1,240 miles (about 2,000 kilometres) and follows a trajectory that takes it to the sting of Earth’s environment earlier than it plunges again down onto its goal.
Due to this flight path, the missile is usually described as a “missile from area.”
The Blue Sparrow measures about 6.5 metres in size and weighs roughly 1.9 tonnes, in response to technical descriptions cited by a number of experiences.
It’s usually launched from fighter plane and follows a ballistic trajectory earlier than releasing a re-entry car that strikes the goal at excessive pace.
The Telegraph reported that particles from the missile, described as lengthy, gray cylindrical fragments, was later present in western Iraq, believed to be alongside the missile’s flight path towards Iran.
Defence analysts cited by Forbes say variations of the Sparrow missile system have been tailored to allow plane to launch ballistic-style weapons from lengthy standoff distances, permitting assaults on closely defended targets with out exposing plane to air-defence programs.
ORIGINS OF THE SPARROW MISSILE SYSTEM
The Blue Sparrow is a part of a broader household of missiles that additionally consists of the Black Sparrow and Silver Sparrow, programs initially designed to simulate Soviet Scud missiles for air-defence testing.
An earlier AFP report from 2008 mentioned the Blue Sparrow was developed by Israel’s Armament Improvement Authority and launched from fighter jets throughout exams of the Israeli-developed Arrow missile defence system, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles.
Over time, analysts say the system has developed past its testing function and might now operate as a high-speed precision strike weapon.
Its means to briefly exit the environment after which re-enter at extraordinarily excessive pace reduces response time for defenders and makes interception far tougher.
That functionality, analysts say, makes the Blue Sparrow significantly fitted to high-value and time-sensitive targets, such because the compound the place Iran’s supreme chief and senior officers had gathered on the day of the strike.
MISSILE STRIKE ON TEHRAN COMPOUND
Particulars of the strike recommend a extremely coordinated operation involving intelligence gathering, surveillance and precision weaponry.
Reviews advised that Israeli fighter plane launched missiles that arced towards the sting of area earlier than diving again to Earth and hitting the compound the place Iran’s prime officers had been assembly.
The impression killed the nation’s strongest chief together with dozens of senior officers.
Israeli F-15 fighter jets and different plane had been deployed at round 7.30 am Iran time, NDTV reported. Roughly two hours later, the plane launched about 30 missiles, together with Blue Sparrow programs, on the compound related to Khamenei.
The strike occurred whereas senior Iranian political and army leaders had gathered on the web site.
Additional particulars reported by The New York Instances mentioned the operation relied on intelligence gathered by the Central Intelligence Company (CIA), which had been monitoring Khamenei’s actions for months.
In accordance with the newspaper, US intelligence realized {that a} assembly of prime Iranian officers would happen at a authorities compound in Tehran and that Khamenei can be current.
The CIA shared what officers described as “excessive constancy” intelligence in regards to the supreme chief’s location with Israel.
Initially deliberate as a nighttime operation, the US and Israel adjusted the timing of the strike to take advantage of the details about the assembly.
The assault started round 6 am in Israel, when fighter jets took off from their bases.
About two hours and 5 minutes later, round 9.40 am in Tehran, long-range missiles struck the compound.
Whereas senior Iranian nationwide safety officers had been gathered in a single constructing of the compound on the time of the assault, Khamenei was in one other close by construction.
DECEPTION AND INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
Reviews point out the strike was the end result of a posh intelligence operation.
In accordance with the New York Put up, Israeli officers intentionally created the impression that the army was standing down for the weekend forward of the assault.
An Israel Defence Forces official informed reporters that the army launched photographs and knowledge suggesting senior commanders had been going house for Shabbat dinner, creating the impression that operations had paused.
In actuality, officers covertly returned to headquarters to arrange the strike.
The report additionally mentioned Israel’s intelligence company Mossad tracked the actions of safety personnel round Khamenei’s compound on Pasteur Road in central Tehran, monitoring bodyguards’ schedules and actions.
Surveillance cameras within the space helped Israeli intelligence decide when senior Iranian leaders had gathered on the compound.
In accordance with the report, Israeli forces additionally disrupted round a dozen cell phone towers close to the compound throughout the operation to stop safety groups from receiving warnings.
Israeli and US conflict rooms had been reportedly synchronised in actual time, permitting commanders to regulate the operation primarily based on Iran’s response.
The strike, in response to Israeli officers, killed greater than 40 senior Iranian leaders, together with Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
March 06, 2026, 12:49 IST
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