‘There was not a thing he could do…’: CIA tracked Khamenei for months before attack on Iran
Iran War: Not only Khamenei, the intelligence agencies were keeping tabs on Iran’s senior political and military leaders too.
- Mar 2, 2026,
- Updated Mar 2, 2026 9:13 AM IST
Iran War: US President Donald Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could not do a thing before he was killed in the strikes. Trump said Khamenei was unable to avoid US intelligence and the highly sophisticated tracking systems. Khamenei’s death came after months of tracking by Israeli and American intelligence agencies.
According to a report in CNN, intelligence agencies, including the CIA, pursued Khamenei and Iran’s top leaders, and bided their time for the right moment. The CIA was monitoring Khamenei’s daily patterns, including where he lived, whom he met, how he communicated and where he might retreat under threat of attack, said the report quoting sources.
Not only Khamenei, the intelligence agencies were keeping tabs on Iran’s senior political and military leaders too.
The top rung rarely gathered in the same place as the ayatollah, but an opening presented itself. Top Iranian officials, including Khamenei, scheduled to meet on Saturday morning at separate sites at a compound in Tehran – it was too good an opportunity to pass up as per some Israeli and US officials. The compound was home to the offices of the ayatollah, the Iranian presidency, and national security apparatus.
Israeli sources found out that Khamenei felt less vulnerable during daylight hours.
The attacks, planned for the night, were then adjusted to the daytime, said the report.
“On Saturday at dawn, Operation Roaring Lion begins. You are cleared to strike your targets. We’re making history. I trust you. Good luck to us all,” wrote chief of staff of Israel’s military, Eyal Zamir to his air force pilots, the report said.
The attack took place at around 6 am in Israel, when warplanes fired into the Tehran compound in a coordinated wave of strikes from the US and Israel. All the sites with the various leaders were hit simultaneously, following which Trump announced that Khamenei was dead.
The report added that it is still unclear what prompted Iran’s senior-most leaders to convene in the middle of Tehran in the same location as Khamenei. As per Israel intelligence, Khamenei’s minister of defence, head of the Military Council, deputy intelligence minister, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force, were present at the compound.
Iran War: US President Donald Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could not do a thing before he was killed in the strikes. Trump said Khamenei was unable to avoid US intelligence and the highly sophisticated tracking systems. Khamenei’s death came after months of tracking by Israeli and American intelligence agencies.
According to a report in CNN, intelligence agencies, including the CIA, pursued Khamenei and Iran’s top leaders, and bided their time for the right moment. The CIA was monitoring Khamenei’s daily patterns, including where he lived, whom he met, how he communicated and where he might retreat under threat of attack, said the report quoting sources.
Not only Khamenei, the intelligence agencies were keeping tabs on Iran’s senior political and military leaders too.
The top rung rarely gathered in the same place as the ayatollah, but an opening presented itself. Top Iranian officials, including Khamenei, scheduled to meet on Saturday morning at separate sites at a compound in Tehran – it was too good an opportunity to pass up as per some Israeli and US officials. The compound was home to the offices of the ayatollah, the Iranian presidency, and national security apparatus.
Israeli sources found out that Khamenei felt less vulnerable during daylight hours.
The attacks, planned for the night, were then adjusted to the daytime, said the report.
“On Saturday at dawn, Operation Roaring Lion begins. You are cleared to strike your targets. We’re making history. I trust you. Good luck to us all,” wrote chief of staff of Israel’s military, Eyal Zamir to his air force pilots, the report said.
The attack took place at around 6 am in Israel, when warplanes fired into the Tehran compound in a coordinated wave of strikes from the US and Israel. All the sites with the various leaders were hit simultaneously, following which Trump announced that Khamenei was dead.
The report added that it is still unclear what prompted Iran’s senior-most leaders to convene in the middle of Tehran in the same location as Khamenei. As per Israel intelligence, Khamenei’s minister of defence, head of the Military Council, deputy intelligence minister, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force, were present at the compound.