Israel’s intelligence agency infiltrated Tehran’s traffic camera system years ago, gaining access to footage revealing the parking patterns of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s security detail, according to a report in the Financial Times. The surveillance allowed Israeli intelligence to compile dossiers containing the addresses of security personnel, their work schedules, and details of those they were assigned to protect.
The operation culminated in a coordinated strike on Saturday, alongside the United States, that reportedly killed Khamenei and other high-ranking Iranian officials. Prior to the attack, Israel and the U.S. Disrupted mobile phone service in the vicinity of Khamenei’s office near Pasteur Street, preventing his security team from receiving warnings or coordinating a response, the Financial Times reported.
“We knew Tehran as well as we recognize Jerusalem,” an unnamed member of Israeli intelligence told the Financial Times. “And when you know a place as well as the street where you grew up, you notice the one thing that doesn’t belong.”
The operation leveraged artificial intelligence to analyze the vast amount of data collected from the cameras, identifying patterns and alerting analysts to the movements of Iranian leaders. According to the report, the CIA also provided intelligence regarding the meeting during which Khamenei was targeted, through a source within the Iranian government.
The Financial Times report details how Israeli intelligence had access to nearly all of Tehran’s traffic cameras for years, with encrypted footage transmitted to servers in Tel Aviv and southern Israel. One camera, in particular, proved valuable for tracking the movements of Khamenei’s security detail and drivers of other Iranian political figures.
The disruption of mobile signals in the area of the attack prevented communication among Khamenei’s security forces, hindering any potential warnings or coordinated response. This tactic was employed alongside the intelligence gathered from the traffic camera network.
Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, confirmed Khamenei’s death, as did Iranian state media. The attack also reportedly resulted in the deaths of other prominent figures, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to reports.
Following the attack, Iran is seeking recent leadership, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating a new leader would be named within two days. The United States has indicated that the current operation against Iran could last up to four weeks, with a “main wave” of attacks still to come, according to Trump.