The “Wing of Zion” aircraft, Israel’s equivalent of the US Air Force One, landed in Greece on Friday after taking off from Ben-Gurion Airport, as the Israeli military launched a large-scale attack against Iranian nuclear and military sites. The high-level movement of the aircraft signals growing concern over the possibility of Iranian retaliation and marks a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the two nations.
The plane is the official aircraft used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog during overseas travel. Its relocation to Athens followed the launch of Operation Rising Lion, a large-scale Israeli air campaign targeting critical infrastructure across Iran.
Military targets hit in Friday’s strikes included sites in Tehran, Natanz, Isfahan, Arak, Tabriz, and Kermanshah.
The Israeli army later confirmed damage to several underground structures at the Natanz uranium enrichment site, including multistory halls containing centrifuges and electrical control rooms. Defense officials said the operation aimed to disrupt Iran’s ability to advance its nuclear program and build long-range missile systems.
The decision to send Israel’s ‘Air Force One’ to Greece reflects the country’s heightened state of alert. The aircraft was previously relocated in April 2024 during a wave of drone and missile attacks launched by Iran. Its early departure from Israeli airspace is being viewed as a precautionary move, as the government braces for a potential counterstrike.
Unclear if Netanyahu himself is in Greece, but the presidential plane “Wing of Zion” definitely took off from Tel Aviv at 11.22am and landed in Athens, Greece, at 1.06pm. pic.twitter.com/GrSZjU2AMJ
— Niko Efstathiou (@NikoEfst) June 13, 2025
Shortly after the air campaign began, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning, declaring that Israel would face a “bitter and painful” response.
“By God’s will, the powerful hand of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic will not let it [Israel] go unpunished,” he said in a televised address.
By late afternoon, the Iranian Fars News Agency reported over 70 people killed and more than 320 injured in the attacks.
Among the dead were high-ranking military officials, including IRGC commander Hossein Salami and military chief Mohammad Bagheri, according to Iranian media. Other reports indicated that Khamenei’s senior adviser, Ali Shamkhani, had been critically injured.
Iranian news outlets also reported the deaths of two senior nuclear scientists — Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Mohammad Tehranchi, president of Islamic Azad University. The scientists were allegedly killed in separate targeted assassinations.
The Israeli military later announced it had completed strikes on Iran’s surface-to-surface missile systems, destroying dozens of launchers and storage depots.
With tensions running high and Tehran vowing retaliation, international observers fear that the conflict could widen beyond the region. The strategic move to send Israel’s ‘Air Force One’ to Greece underscores the Israeli leadership’s effort to maintain continuity of command while reducing vulnerability during a time of extreme volatility.
