Years-long Mossad operation used city’s surveillance network to track Khamenei’s movements, enabling precision strike.
Tel Aviv / Tehran – In what is being described as one of the most sophisticated intelligence operations in modern history, Israeli spies reportedly hacked into nearly all of Tehran’s traffic cameras to surveil Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before his elimination in a coordinated US-Israeli strike over the weekend.
According to intelligence sources cited by the Financial Times, the operation—years in the making—allowed Israel to map the movements, routines, and security arrangements of Iran’s most senior officials with stunning precision.
The Surveillance Network
Israeli operatives gained access to Tehran’s traffic camera network, enabling them to:
· Monitor the Ayatollah’s bodyguards and security personnel
· Identify parking patterns around Khamenei’s compound
· Track routes, work hours, and duties of senior security staff
· Determine when the Supreme Leader would be at home
One camera facing the compound reportedly revealed exactly where security guards parked their vehicles, providing critical intelligence for planning the attack.
“We knew Tehran like we know Jerusalem,” one Israeli intelligence official told the Financial Times. “And when you know [a place] as well as you know the street you grew up on, you notice a single thing that’s out of place.”
Operation Epic Fury
The intelligence gathered through the hacked cameras was crucial to Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli military action that resulted in Khamenei’s death along with members of his inner circle as they gathered for breakfast on Saturday morning.
Key operational details:
· Timing: Attack launched during daytime to achieve tactical surprise
· Precision: Up to 30 precision strikes on Khamenei’s compound
· Coordination: US military launched cyber attacks to disrupt Iranian communications and allow Israeli jets to reach the target
· Confirmation: Two Israeli intelligence officers, working independently, confirmed via hacked cameras and mobile network access that Khamenei’s meeting was proceeding on schedule
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Trump’s Comments
Former President Donald Trump confirmed that the operation against Iran was “well ahead of schedule” but warned that “the big wave hasn’t even happened yet.”
Regional Fallout
Khamenei is the highest-profile leader to be assassinated by Israel since the October 7 attacks, following earlier eliminations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.
Interim leaders in Iran have formed a council that will eventually select a new Supreme Leader.
Methodology: Social Network Analysis
The operation reportedly employed social network analysis, studying patterns of behavior to understand how people interact. With this intelligence, planners determined it would be easier to kill Khamenei at the start of the assault rather than targeting him later when he might escape to a bunker.
US Military Role
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the operation’s initial phase:
“Coordinated space and cyber operations effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks across the area of responsibility, leaving the adversary without the ability to see, coordinate, or respond effectively.”
Timing Adjusted
An individual briefed on the attack revealed that the assault had been planned for months, but the timeline was adjusted once intelligence revealed Khamenei would be attending a meeting at his compound in person on Saturday morning.
Intelligence Superiority
The operation demonstrates Israel’s intelligence dominance over Iran, following previous successes including:
· The 12-day war last year targeting Iranian military bases and nuclear facilities
· Assassination of over a dozen nuclear scientists and senior officials
· Joint operations with US intelligence agencies
No Imminent Threat?
Despite the preemptive strike, US officials acknowledged there was no intelligence showing Iran was prepared to attack America first. Senator Mark Warner, top Democrat on the intelligence committee, stated there was no imminent threat from Iran to the US.
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