How Khamenei was killed: All about ‘Blue Sparrow’ missile that hit his compound— does India have one?

Large numbers of Iranians gathered in central Tehran and other cities for the first Friday prayers since the war with the United States and Israel began. Videos shared by Iranian media online showed crowds of men and women, many in black and some carrying Iranian flags, heading toward an open area outside the Grand Mosque of Imam Khomeini in the capital, AFP reported.

Who was Khamenei?

Ali Khamenei shaped Iran’s stance in the Middle East as firmly opposed to Israel and resistant to US efforts to influence and reshape the region. He consistently ensured that his deep mistrust and hostility toward the US—rooted in Washington’s past involvement in Iranian politics and its support for the monarchy that once imprisoned him- remained central to Iran’s political narrative.

Khamenei also repeatedly called for the elimination of Israel, often describing the country as a “cancerous tumour” in the region, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was reportedly caused by a series of strikes by the United States and Israel that sparked the conflict in the Middle East. According to reports, Khamenei was killed by Israel's “Blue Sparrow” missiles.

How was Khomeini killed?

In the early hours of 28 February, Ali Khamenei arrived at a leadership complex on Pasteur Street to attend a high-level meeting. The 86-year-old leader had spent much of the previous weeks in underground shelters due to fears of a potential Israeli strike.

Further details reported by The New York Times said the operation relied on intelligence gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which had been monitoring the movements of Ali Khamenei for several months.

According to the report, US intelligence discovered that a meeting involving senior Iranian officials was scheduled to take place at a government compound in Tehran, with Khamenei in attendance. The CIA then shared what officials described as “high-fidelity” intelligence about the supreme leader’s location with Israel.

Watch the Supreme Leader's residence

Although the strike had initially been planned for nighttime, the United States and Israel reportedly changed the timing of the operation to take advantage of the information about the meeting.

However, shortly after he appeared to participate in the meeting, a missile strike hit the compound, killing him along with several senior officials.

The attack was reportedly carried out using the Blue Sparrow missile, an advanced weapon developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and launched from an F-15 Eagle fighter jet.

Intelligence

According to The New York Post, Israeli officials deliberately created the impression that the military was standing down for the weekend ahead of the attack.

An official from the Israel Defense Forces told reporters that the military released photos and information suggesting senior commanders were heading home for Shabbat dinner, giving the impression that operations had paused. In reality, the officials quietly returned to headquarters to prepare for the strike, the report stated.

The report also stated that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, tracked the movements of security personnel around the compound of Ali Khamenei on Pasteur Street in central Tehran. Intelligence teams monitored the schedules and movements of bodyguards, while surveillance cameras in the area helped determine when senior Iranian leaders had gathered at the location.

What is Israel's Blue Sparrow missile?

The Blue Sparrow missile, developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, is an advanced air-launched ballistic missile primarily used to simulate hostile missile threats during tests of Israel’s missile defence systems. It is typically launched from an F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft operated by Israel. After being released, the missile climbs quickly toward the edge of the atmosphere and then descends sharply toward its target along a steep path, according to a report by IndiaTV.

The Blue Sparrow is part of a family of three missiles designed for different threat simulations: Black Sparrow, Blue Sparrow, and Silver Sparrow. Each variant represents a different class of ballistic missile used in testing scenarios. The Blue Sparrow is about 6.5 metres long, weighs roughly 1,900 kilograms, and has a range of nearly 2,000 kilometres, enabling it to strike distant targets with high accuracy.

Israel's Blue Sparrow missile: Does India have one?

India is using technology derived from the Sparrow missile family to upgrade the arsenal of the Indian Air Force (IAF), mainly through the ROCKS missile system and the Golden Horizon missile system, according to a report by Business Standard.

How does the Blue Sparrow missile work?

The missile travels along a high ballistic trajectory, which makes it very difficult for defence systems to intercept. After launch from a fighter jet at a safe stand-off distance, its rocket motor propels it toward the upper atmosphere. Once it reaches a high altitude, it reenters the atmosphere at extremely high speed.

During the final phase of its flight, the missile’s onboard guidance systems make adjustments to ensure precise targeting. This capability allows it to hit high-value targets such as command centres, air defence sites, and fortified facilities while keeping pilots outside the range of enemy air defences. Its high speed, altitude, and manoeuvrability greatly reduce the time available for defensive systems to react.

(With inputs from agencies)