A report published by The New York Times has revealed new details about the joint US–Israel intelligence operation that targeted the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following months of surveillance.
According to the report, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had tracked Khamenei’s movements for several months before confirming that he would attend a high-level meeting of Iran’s top leadership on the morning of February 28, 2026.
The meeting was initially scheduled for Saturday evening in Tehran. However, Israeli intelligence learned that it had been moved to the morning, prompting Israeli military commanders to advance the timing of the strikes.
The report states that the CIA shared precise intelligence regarding Khamenei’s location with Israeli authorities. Israel subsequently carried out the operation, which reportedly began at 6 a.m. local time. Nearly two hours later, long-range missiles launched by Israeli Air Force jets struck the compound in Tehran.
At the time of the attack, senior members of Iran’s national security leadership were gathered in one building, while Khamenei was located in a separate structure within the compound.
A separate report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that approximately 30 bombs were dropped during the operation.
Satellite imagery published by Reuters showed plumes of smoke rising from the compound following the strikes.
The operation reportedly resulted in the deaths of Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials, including Ali Shamkhani, former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).