Israeli intelligence spied on Khamenei's entourage for years through hacked traffic cameras - FT

Israeli intelligence services have been obtaining data on Iranian officials for several years through hacked highway surveillance cameras and used this information to prepare the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

It was reported by the Financial Times.

According to the newspaper, citing sources, access to the cameras made it possible to collect information about the security personnel of high-ranking officials: places of residence, schedules of service, routes of movement and a list of persons and objects they accompanied.

Thanks to this surveillance, Israeli intelligence established that the Ayatollah would be in his office on the morning of February 28. This day coincided with the start of a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran. According to intelligence estimates, it would have been more difficult to eliminate Khamenei after the operation started, as Iranian officials could have taken refuge in bunkers.

Also, according to the FT, Israel disabled more than ten mobile communication towers near the residence of the Supreme Leader. As a result, on the day of the strike, the guards did not receive a warning of a possible attack, and the phones in the coverage area were displayed as "busy."

"Long before the attack began, we knew Tehran like we know Jerusalem. And when you know a street as if you grew up on it, you notice things that are out of place," one of the Israeli intelligence officers told the publication.

As a reminder, Israel hit the building of the Iranian Council of Experts, where a meeting was held to elect a new spiritual leader of the country.

On March 1, the IDF announced the liquidation of 40 key Iranian military commanders and all high-ranking leaders of the "Iranian axis of terror."

On March 2, US President Donald Trump allowed a ground operation against Iran.

On March 3, Trump said that the United States has almost limitless stockpiles of weapons and is able to conduct hostilities for a long time, relying only on available resources.