Working Their Way Down the Target List: Israel Strikes Late Ayatollah's Aircraft

Red State ^ | 03/16/2026 | Ward Clark

[SeekAndFind]

In another interesting development out of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, or, as our Israeli allies call it, Operation Roaring Lion, the Israel Air Force (IAF) has destroyed an aircraft that was employed by the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to coordinate with proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

While the late, unlamented Ayatollah is coordinating with nothing more than six feet of Iranian soil now, there was always the possibility that this aircraft could have been put to some nefarious purpose, like spiriting regime loyalists out of harm's way.

No longer. Now the airplane has been reduced to scattered wreckage.

The Israeli Air Force said Monday that it had destroyed a plane belonging to Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that the Jewish state claimed was used to convey messages and coordinate with the Islamic Republic’s terror proxies.

חיל-האוויר השמיד את מטוסו של מנהיג משטר הטרור האיראני בשדה התעופה ״מהאראבד״ שבטהרן - המטוס שימש את עלי ח׳אמנהאי, מנהיג משטר הטרור האיראני, בכירים נוספים ממשטר הטרור וגורמים בצבא איראן, לקידום רכש צבאי ולניהול קשרים עם מדינות הציר באמצעות טיסות פנים וחוץ.

השמדת המטוס פוגעת…

pic.twitter.com/lOtRRIHTff— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 16, 2026

Translation:

The Air Force destroyed the plane of the leader of the Iranian terror regime at the "Mehrabad" airport in Tehran - the plane was used by Ali Khamenei, leader of the Iranian terror regime, additional senior officials from the terror regime, and elements in the Iranian military, to advance military procurement and manage relations with Axis countries through domestic and international flights. 

The destruction of the plane impairs the ability to coordinate between the leadership of the Iranian terror regime and Axis countries, in building military power, and in the regime's rehabilitation capability. Thus, another strategic asset has been removed from the Iranian regime.

This would seem to indicate that Israel and the United States are working their way down the target list a ways; this airplane isn't so much a military asset as a regime asset, and the use for which it was put has been precluded. It's hard for Iran to coordinate with proxy groups when Iran's military infrastructure is being systematically destroyed by American and Israeli explosives, and the remaining regime members are scurrying around like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

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Read More: New From CENTCOM: Epic Assault Continues, Iran’s Navy Crushed, More to Come

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We still don't know where the new goblin is, or what kind of shape he's in.

The plane strike took place amid fevered speculation about the health status of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to have been severely wounded in the Feb. 28 Israeli strike that killed his father and other family members.

Monday’s attack was confirmed one day after a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces told CNN the military was planning for three more weeks of combat operations against Iran — with “deeper plans” for another three weeks beyond that, if deemed necessary.

“We have thousand of targets ahead,” Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said told the outlet. “We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now [ending at sundown April 9]. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”

Three weeks isn't that long a time in the grand scheme of things, and if this is what it takes to put an end to the rule of Iran by a gang of vicious 7th-century thugs, so be it. They've been causing trouble in the region and around the globe long enough.

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aircraft; ayatollah; iaf; iran; israel; operationepicfury; operationroaringlion

[volare737]

So no more “Iran Force One”?

[ConservativeMind]

We have stupid people here saying this action is completely against the Constitution.

[MeanWestTexan]

Good thing the Israelis aren’t bound by the USA constitution.

(Not that it would be against ours, either.)

[paulcissa]

Rock the Casbah.

[plain talk]

Sorry about the italian narration but I think it's self-explanatory.

Then ...

[Kazan]

This completely irrelevant to the problem -- Iran's missiles and drones in underground locations.

Unless those are destroyed, Iran will continue to hold the Strait of Hormuz and pummel Israel with missiles. And, neither can be withstood for more than a few more weeks.

[Vaduz]

A+

[Georgia Girl 2]

Sharia don’t like it.

[Lurker]

“ And, neither can be withstood for more than a few more weeks.”

Isn’t that what you said about Ukraine 2-1/2 years ago? You are confusing the pathetic Red Army, or whatever it is you’re calling that barely trained bunch of drunken conscripts you have these days, with real professional militaries.

L

[Sirius Lee]

Gosh, if he wasn’t late before, he’s really going to be running late now.

[Raycpa]

Gemini’s take on your posting history this month:

The flaws in Kazan’s logic primarily stem from a consequentialist bias and the use of false dilemmas to frame the conflict. He frequently argues that because the war has led to immediate economic pain—specifically rising gas prices and inflation—the entire strategic undertaking is a failure, ignoring any potential non-economic security objectives or long-term geopolitical justifications.

This “pocketbook” focus often relies on slippery slope fallacies, where he asserts that any military friction will inevitably lead to a total “world economic meltdown” and a Democratic landslide in the mid-terms.

Furthermore, his evidence is weakened by a circular reliance on unverified reports; he treats Iranian claims of “underground missile cities” and the destruction of U.S. radar systems as absolute facts to prove U.S. weakness, while simultaneously dismissing official U.S. reporting as “propaganda.”

By framing the situation as a binary choice between “unconditional surrender” or “national ruin,” he ignores more complex diplomatic and military middle grounds.

[dennisw]

These fake holy men, Twelver Ayatollahs have been ripping off Iran for ages. The top ones are millionaires and billionaires.

[bankwalker]

and the gas price pain is very temporary ...

[dennisw]

Ask Gemini if Kazan posts like his hair is on fire.