CIA tracked Khamenei for months, pinpointed leadership meeting that led Israel to strike in daylight — NYT
Washington / Tehran — The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency played a pivotal role in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a bombshell report by The New York Times.The CIA had tracked Khamenei for months and passed “high fidelity” intelligence on his location to Israel ahead of the attack. The breakthrough came…
Washington / Tehran — The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency played a pivotal role in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a bombshell report by The New York Times.
The CIA had tracked Khamenei for months and passed “high fidelity” intelligence on his location to Israel ahead of the attack. The breakthrough came when the agency learned that Khamenei would attend a morning meeting of senior Iranian officials at a leadership compound in central Tehran. Both countries then adjusted the timing of their planned strike — originally intended to take place under cover of darkness — moving it to coincide with the 9:40 a.m. gathering.
Israeli officials said intelligence officers had identified not just one but three simultaneous meetings taking place at the compound, which housed the offices of the Iranian presidency, the supreme leader, and Iran’s National Security Council. Despite Iranian preparations for war, Israel managed to achieve “tactical surprise” — a failure the report attributes to Iran’s leadership not taking adequate precautions despite clear signals of an impending strike.
The IDF stated Sunday that it had killed 40 “key” Iranian military commanders, including Iran’s chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, within a minute of striking Khamenei.Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that many leaders linked to Iran’s nuclear program were also killed. Iranian state media reported 201 fatalities and 747 injured from the initial strikes.
The White House and CIA declined to comment on the report.
