The military action with which Israel and the United States They managed to end the life of the Ayatollah Ali Jameneísupreme leader of Iranhas once again highlighted the profound infiltration capacity of the Mossadthe powerful and emblematic Israeli intelligence agency.
Although the coup was a surprise, the plan to decapitate the Shiite regime It had been simmering for a while. The heir of Ruhollah Khomeinispiritual father of modern Iran, lived in a compound heavily guarded by heavily armed bodyguards. Even so, Israel found a gateway to that reality that its historical enemy was unable to identify. In a modern adaptation of the Trojan Horse, the Israeli spy force hacked “almost all” traffic cameras in Israel for years. Tehranaccording to research by Financial Times.
Having this source of data in real time within the Persian capital allowed the Israel Defense Forces to identify Khamenei’s security guards and other senior members of the Iranian leadership. The algorithms of IA They allowed hundreds of hours of mundane footage to be turned into intelligence, with personalized profiles “that included their addresses, work schedules, routes they took to work, and, most importantly, who they were usually assigned to protect and transport.” That “pattern of life” paved the way to perpetrate the murder of Khamenei and his henchmen.
Building in the center of Tehran destroyed by bombings, this Wednesday. / ABEDIN TAHERKENAH / EFE
“We knew Tehran like Jerusalem”
Sources consulted by Financial Times indicate that both the Mossad and the CIA They used “hundreds of different streams of intelligence” to determine exactly what time last Saturday Khamenei would be in his offices. Spies deployed on the ground in Iran and the sophisticated Unit 8200an elite military intelligence body. Additionally, the Army “used a mathematical method known as analysis of social networks to analyze billions of data points in order to (…) identify new targets to monitor and kill.”
All of this allowed Israel to have its eyes on the heart of its archenemy. “We knew Tehran as we know Jerusalem (…) And when you know [un lugar] “As well as you know the street you grew up on, you notice anything that is out of place,” an Israeli intelligence official explains to the British media.
At the time of the deadly attack, Israeli agents were also able to block a dozen cell towers mobile phone near the complex where Khamenei was, causing the mobiles of the bodyguards “appeared to be busy when called” in order to prevent them from receiving possible warnings.
Israel’s operation against Iran is reminiscent of the one perpetrated against Hezbollah in September 2024. Then, the Mossad managed to deceive the most powerful paramilitary group in the world by manufacturing up to 5,000 ‘pagers’ – electronic messaging devices that do not require a SIM card or Internet connection – equipped with explosives and put them in the pockets of their enemies, Reuters revealed. By detonating them, Israel killed 11 people and injured 3,000 more, many civilians.
Subscribe to continue reading
