The US and Israel carried out a mission to target Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports from the New York Times.
The attack occurred on Saturday morning at a compound in central Tehran, where Khamenei was meeting with other senior Iranian figures. US President Donald Trump stated that the US had been tracking Khamenei's movements for months.
Trump hinted at the methods used, saying, "He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems."",
The exact methods used are secret, but it is believed that technical tracking of Iranian individuals or a human source may have been involved.
Intelligence and Planning
The CIA provided intelligence to Israel, which carried out the strike. The signs suggest a division of labor, with Israel focusing on strikes to hit leadership targets and the US focusing on military targets.
The intelligence provided enough notice of the supreme leader's movements to plan an attack using jets that could fire long-range missiles.
Attack Details
Israeli jets used 30 bombs to attack the compound around 09:40 local time. Multiple munitions may have been needed to burrow deep enough to strike the target.
Other sites in the Iranian capital were also hit, including the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian, who later stated that he was safe.
Casualties and Aftermath
Three senior Iranian defence officials have been confirmed dead by Iran, including Defence Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, Defence Minister Brig Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh, and IRGC commander Gen Mohammad Pakpour.
Two people were killed and 14 injured in the attack. International shipping has come to a standstill at the strait's entrance, with fears of disruption already pushing up global oil prices.
