ALBAWABA - British newspaper "The Daily Telegraph" published a leaked audio recording revealing horrific details about the airstrikes that targeted Iran's command compound in Tehran in late February.
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel announced a preemptive attack on Tehran targeting military sites, resulting in the deaths of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a number of senior officials. However, Mojtaba Khamenei managed to survive.
How did Mojtaba Khamenei survive the February attack?
The audio recording detailed that Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was outside his home within the compound for a few moments, having gone out into the garden just minutes before the missiles struck the building, thus saving him from the attack that targeted the entire compound.
The recordings showed that the missiles used in the attack were Blue Sparrow missiles, believed to have been launched as part of a joint U.S.-Israeli operation.
A man holds a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (R) being handed over a folded Iranian flag by his late father, Ali Khamenei (L) during a rally in support of him at Enghelab Square in central Tehran on March 9, 2026. Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP
The strikes targeted several locations within the Supreme Leader's office compound simultaneously, while Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders were meeting, leading to the death of many.
In the recording, Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol in Khamenei's office, indicated that Mojtaba sustained a minor leg injury, while his wife and son were killed instantly in the strike. Several military and political officials inside the compound were also killed, including Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, and the head of the Supreme Leader's military office, Mohammad Shirazi.
He further noted that the strikes appeared designed to target the entire family, as they hit several houses within the compound, including Mojtaba's, his brother's, and the family's brother-in-law's, who was also killed.
