How Israel Used Surveillance, Cyber Warfare To Target Ali Khamenei | Inside Operation ‘Epic Fury’
A coordinated US-Israel intelligence operation, years in the making, reportedly used hacked traffic cameras, cyber disruption and human intelligence to track and assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel strike was not a sudden wartime decision but the culmination of a long-running intelligence operation built over years, according to international reports.
Intelligence sources cited in global reports said Israeli operatives allegedly hacked traffic cameras across Tehran for years, gathering granular data on movement patterns around high-security compounds.
One particular camera angle reportedly revealed where bodyguards of senior officials parked and helped map daily routines. Combined with advanced algorithms, analysts built what intelligence professionals call a “pattern of life” — tracking addresses, routes, schedules and protection assignments.
Israel’s signals intelligence unit Unit 8200, alongside Mossad’s human sources and military intelligence analysts, reportedly processed vast datasets into operational targeting briefs.
According to reports, Israeli intelligence interfered with components of mobile phone towers near Pasteur Street in Tehran, causing calls to appear busy and preventing security teams from receiving warnings.
A US intelligence source — reportedly a human asset — also provided confirmation that a high-level meeting was underway at Khamenei’s compound.
For a target of such stature, Israeli doctrine reportedly required double verification by senior officers before authorising action.
US President Donald Trump authorised the US component of the strike, named Operation ‘Epic Fury’, while Israel referred to its action as Operation ‘Roaring Lion’.
US cyber operations allegedly preceded the airstrike, disrupting Iran’s radar and communication capabilities. Israeli aircraft then released precision-guided munitions on Khamenei’s compound during daylight hours, a timing officials said created tactical surprise.
The strike occurred amid escalating conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, with missile and drone exchanges across the region. Intelligence officials reportedly assessed that once full-scale war unfolded, tracking senior leaders would become significantly harder as they retreated to underground bunkers.
Unlike Hassan Nasrallah — who was killed in Beirut in 2024 after reportedly living underground for years — Khamenei was not typically in permanent hiding, though he maintained secure bunkers during wartime.
Former officials describe two historical turning points:
In 2001, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon directed Mossad leadership to prioritise Iran as the primary strategic threat.
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Israel claims was backed by Iran, reportedly reshaped internal Israeli thinking about whether foreign heads of state should remain off-limits in wartime.
Over decades, Israel has conducted covert actions targeting nuclear scientists, militant leaders and strategic infrastructure linked to Iran’s regional influence.
Multiple current and former intelligence officials emphasised that eliminating Khamenei was ultimately a political decision, not merely a technological capability.
Assassinating a sitting head of state carries immense operational and geopolitical risk. While intelligence superiority enabled the strike, the broader consequences for regional stability remain uncertain and highly debated.
