Regime supporters hold placards for new Iran supreme leader in Tehran

France will deploy two frigates to the Red Sea as part of the European Union’s Aspides naval mission, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday.

Macron described the effort as a “purely defensive” escort mission aimed at protecting shipping, adding it would be coordinated with European and non-European partners.

The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles and 17 drones on Monday as part of ongoing Iranian attacks.

The Ministry of Defence said 15 ballistic missiles were detected, with 12 destroyed and three falling into the sea. Of 18 UAVs detected, 17 were intercepted and one fell within the country’s territory.

Since the start of the attacks, the UAE said it has detected 253 ballistic missiles — 233 destroyed, 18 falling into the sea and two landing inside the country. It also reported detecting 1,440 Iranian drones, of which 1,359 were intercepted and 81 fell within its territory. Eight cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.

The ministry said the attacks have resulted in four deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 117 minor injuries involving nationals from more than 20 countries, including the UAE, Egypt, India and Iran.

It added that the armed forces remain fully prepared to address any threats and will respond firmly to attempts to undermine the country’s security.

NATO air defenses in the eastern Mediterranean shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said debris from the intercepted missile fell in the southeastern province of Gaziantep and that no casualties were reported.

It marked the second time in the past week that an Iranian ballistic missile has entered the airspace of NATO member Turkey.

Ankara warned it would take necessary steps “without hesitation” and called on all parties to heed its warnings.

Prince Reza Pahlavi said the US and Israeli campaign targeting the Revolutionary Guards and the Islamic Republic’s “infrastructure of terror” has broad support among Iranians.

In a post on X, he said the establishment is using civilians as “human shields,” calling it “a crime against humanity,” and added that the protection of civilians and Iran’s vital national infrastructure must remain a priority.

Addressing Iran’s armed forces directly, he urged them to defect. “Lay down your arms and join the people. If you do, there will be a place for you in a free Iran,” he wrote.

On March 5, shortly after heavy strikes targeted areas near the Pasteur government complex in central Tehran – a district that houses the Iranian presidency and several key government offices – the Israeli military published a video depicting what it described as Khamenei’s underground bunker system.

The complex resembles a subterranean city. According to the video and accompanying imagery, the facility appears to have been used as a secure shelter for Iran’s leadership and may still be used by remaining officials following Khamenei’s death.

A tunnel network stretching nearly five kilometers

Analysis of the imagery released by the Israeli military, using publicly available online mapping tools, suggests the tunnel network extends close to five kilometers in length.

To understand the scale of the project, it helps to compare it with ordinary infrastructure construction in Tehran.

According to statements by Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani and members of the Tehran City Council, building one kilometer of metro tunnel in Tehran currently costs between 5,000 and 6,000 billion tomans – roughly $30-36 million at an exchange rate of about 166,000 tomans per dollar.

This estimate covers only the excavation and structural work. It does not include interior finishing, equipment, ventilation systems, or other underground facilities.

Based on those figures, building five kilometers of underground tunnel would cost about 25,000 to 30,000 billion tomans, or roughly $150-180 million.

Given the secrecy and security requirements surrounding such a project, the actual cost was likely significantly higher than that of a standard transportation tunnel.

Under normal conditions, tunneling contractors in Tehran can excavate around 10 meters per day. At that pace, building a five-kilometer tunnel system would take at least 500 days – roughly 17 months.

Considering the classified nature of the project and the additional infrastructure involved, the construction timeline may have been considerably longer.

The core of the complex: beneath a medical facility

The video appears to place the central section of the bunker complex southwest of the presidential compound in the Pasteur district.

The site sits directly beneath the Shahid Shourideh Medical Center, a clinic affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture. The facility has operated since 1985 and effectively functions as part of the broader Pasteur government complex.

Based on the height of vehicle ramps and the dimensions of vehicles visible in the imagery, the central installation appears to be located 40 to 50 meters underground.

From there, the tunnel system extends northwest toward another entrance near the end of Rajabi Street, roughly 200 meters from the Shourideh hospital complex.

Easternmost entrance: next to an elementary school

The easternmost known entrance to the tunnel network appears to be located in the Sheikh Hadi neighborhood, along Valiasr Street, beneath the Jami multi-story parking garage.

This parking structure stands directly beside Hejrat Girls’ Elementary School, while Saheb a-Zaman Boys’ Elementary School lies about 100 meters away.

At the northern edge of the network sits another multi-story garage known as the 12 Farvardin Parking Complex, located near the intersection of Jomhouri Eslami Street and Danesh Street.

Both parking structures were inaugurated on December 4, 2017, as part of a paired urban development project attended by Tehran’s then-mayor Mohammad Najafi.

An entrance beneath a mosque, beside a school

Another entrance appears west of Pasteur Square, between Hor Metro Station and the square itself.

This access point lies beneath Tohid Mosque. Adjacent to the mosque is a building, and behind it stands Shahid Kadkhodaei Boys’ Elementary School.

Roughly 200 meters away, another possible entrance is located on the southwestern side of Pasteur Square, along a street that houses the AJA University of Command and Staff – the staff college of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army.

Nearby are the Karimeh Ahl-e Beit dental clinic and medical clinic, as well as the 29 Farvardin Pharmacy, which is affiliated with Iran’s army.

Western entrance beside a football school

The westernmost identified entrance to the tunnel network appears to lie beneath a small building near an office responsible for issuing hunting weapon permits.

Immediately next to the building, sharing a wall, is a football training school, while dense residential complexes surround the area.

This location sits near the intersection of Sepah and Kamali streets, along Kashan Street, at the end of Fourth Street.

The tunnels also lie close to the Yas and Namjou residential complexes, which are affiliated with the Iranian army.