CIA tracked Iranian leaders ‘for months’ before strikes, sharing intelligence with Israel

South China Morning Post · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for months.That is according to a person familiar with the operation who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on Sunday on condition of anonymity.The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of this weekend’s strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said. The New York Times earlier reported on the CIA’s efforts ahead of the Israeli-US strikes.Iran vowed revenge after the killing of Khamenei and traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by a surprise US and Israeli bombardment. The US military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict.Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area of government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the US and Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior leaders.Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation, while Israel pledged “non-stop” strikes against Iran’s leaders and military.In Israel, loud explosions caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be heard in Tel Aviv.