The New York Times, in a report published on Sunday, revealed details of a joint military operation carried out by US and Israeli forces that led to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the capital, Tehran, noting that accurate intelligence played a crucial role in changing the timing of the strike.
The newspaper reported that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had received confirmed information that the Iranian Supreme Leader would participate in a high-level meeting on Saturday morning, inside a residential compound belonging to the Iranian authorities located in the heart of the capital, Tehran, which the intelligence agencies considered an opportunity that could not be missed.
According to informed sources quoted by the newspaper, the American side shared this new information with the Israeli side, prompting the United States and Israel to make an immediate decision to change the timetable for military operations to take advantage of Khamenei’s presence at the specified location.
The report explained that the basic plan for the operation was to launch a night attack to take advantage of the darkness, but intelligence about the morning meeting prompted the military leaders to modify the plan and carry out the attack during the day to ensure that the guide was targeted.
The newspaper noted that the Central Intelligence Agency had been tracking the movements of the Iranian Supreme Leader for several months, and had formed a clear and comprehensive picture of his residences and habits, which facilitated the monitoring process and the determination of the zero hour based on his field movements.
In detailing the execution of the operation, the newspaper stated that the attack took place at 9:40 a.m. local time (6:10 GMT), and that long-range missiles were used, which the newspaper described in its report as “surface-to-air” missiles, without mentioning their specific name.
The newspaper concluded its report by confirming the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in addition to a number of high-ranking Iranian officials who were present at the meeting, as a result of the American-Israeli strikes that targeted the site in Tehran.
