Rabat – Tehran’s streets provided crucial intelligence in a strike that shook the Middle East.
Traffic cameras, reportedly hacked by Israel years ago, offered real-time views across the city, helping map movement patterns and build a detailed picture of Iran’s capital, according to the Financial Times.
The cameras were part of a larger, highly sophisticated intelligence system that Israeli officials described as an AI-powered “target production machine.”
The system integrates satellite imagery, intercepted communications, visual intelligence, human sources, and signals intelligence to produce pinpoint locations for potential strikes.
Teams of engineers, data analysts, and technologists then validate the results before any operation is executed, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
Over the past decade, Israel has used this network to penetrate Iran’s inner circles, assassinate top nuclear scientists, steal parts of the country’s nuclear archive, and eliminate Hamas political leaders operating in Tehran.
The system has proven its effectiveness before. During the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June last year, Israeli forces used the network in opening strikes, targeting high-ranking officers in Iran’s military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including aides to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Financial Times.
Israel and the US launched another joint operation on Saturday morning, with Khamenei reportedly the primary target. Israeli officials believed the supreme leader was more exposed during daylight hours.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier attempts failed because Khamenei would often take shelter in underground bunkers. The latest strike also targeted Iran’s top military and security officials, some of whom had replaced those killed in June, according to CNN.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed doubts over US-Iran nuclear talks, warning that negotiations would fail to yield a deal acceptable to Israel.
In a private White House meeting on February 11, Netanyahu presented President Donald Trump with fresh intelligence on Iran’s military capabilities and outlined options if talks collapsed.
The operation was authorized Friday at 3:38 p.m. Eastern Time. Dan Caine, a top US military officer, described it as a daylight strike executed by the Israeli Defense Forces with support from US intelligence.
While details remain limited, reports indicate the mission successfully located Khamenei and other senior leaders inside their compounds.
Confirmation came early Sunday when Iran’s state broadcaster announced: “The Supreme Leader of Iran has Reached Martyrdom.”