Report: IRGC Built Vast Underground Complex to Shield Khamenei

Iran International reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards built a large underground compound in Tehran for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with blast-resistant shelters and escape tunnels beneath the Iranian capital. The facility, called Habib Ebrahimi, was allegedly built near Khamenei’s official residence and designed to protect him from bomb and missile attacks.

According to plans reviewed by the outlet, construction began in 2009 and continued until the end of the 2010s, with about a decade invested in the project. The complex was said to descend about 30 meters underground through a main vehicle entrance, and a 27-meter tunnel linked the bunker to several evacuation routes and exits into nearby streets. Another tunnel connected it to a parking facility near Enghelab Square in central Tehran.

The report says the site was disguised above ground as a sports center. Below ground, it included a three-level parking garage, shooting ranges, a five-story underground office complex for senior officials in the Supreme Leader’s office, and two shelters at depths of roughly 30 and 35 meters. One shelter reportedly contained a bombproof room intended specifically for Khamenei.

The documents cited by Iran International indicate the project was approved by Khamenei and financed by the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters of the IRGC, with oversight by the organization’s engineering branch then headed by Brig. Gen. Ali Masejadian. The outlet also said Israel struck the complex during its March 2026 attack on Khamenei’s compound, though later satellite images did not clearly show that the underground structure itself was destroyed.

The report contradicts earlier public claims by former Iranian officials. Former Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi said Khamenei had no underground shelter, while ex-broadcasting chief and former tourism minister Ezzatollah Zarghami said Khamenei opposed building a personal bunker for himself.