CIA Intelligence, Israeli Firepower: Know How Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei Was Killed

Tehran: Israel killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike early Saturday. Iran confirmed Khamenei's death and declared 40 days of nationwide mourning. Saturday's attacks killed top security officials, as well as Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. These killings represent one of the biggest blows to Iran's leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khamenei enjoyed the highest security protection in Iran. This raises the question of how Israel managed to assassinate Khamenei, something Iran couldn't even prevent.

How did CIA track Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's location?

According to a report in The New York Times, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tracked a high-level meeting of the Iranian leadership, and Israel subsequently attacked the target. According to the report, US intelligence identified what was considered the most important target—Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—just hours before the attack. Sources familiar with the operation said the CIA had been monitoring Khamenei's movements and residences for several months, and its intelligence grew increasingly accurate over time.

How did CIA support the Israel attack on Iran?

The CIA received information that an important meeting of senior Iranian officials was scheduled for Saturday morning at a compound in central Tehran, which Khamenei was expected to attend. The newspaper claimed that, following the new intelligence, US and Israeli officials reportedly changed the timing of the planned attack to take advantage of the opportunity. They decided to launch the attack early in the morning, instead of waiting for the night, and immediately ordered the military to act.

The report stated that the swift execution of the attack demonstrates close coordination and intelligence sharing between the US and Israel. It also stated that despite clear signs of an impending conflict, the Iranian leadership failed to implement necessary security measures. It is believed that Israel and the United States had minute-to-minute knowledge of the Iranian Supreme Leader's location. Therefore, a variety of weapons were used in the attack to eliminate any hope of escape.