In a major revelation, The New York Times reports that the CIA had been closely tracking Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for several months.
The agency provided Israel with highly reliable intelligence confirming that Khamenei would be present at a key meeting of top Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday.
Israeli intelligence independently corroborated the details of this gathering at a leadership compound, which was set to include senior defense figures. Seizing the opportunity, both the U.S. and Israel decided to advance their planned operation, accelerating the timeline for a targeted strike amid heightened regional tensions.