Just before the US and Israel prepared to launch an attack on Iran, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) identified the location of its most important target: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.

According to sources familiar with the operation, the CIA had been tracking Khamenei for months, gaining a firmer understanding of his location and movements.

Subsequently, the agency discovered a meeting of high-ranking Iranian officials scheduled for Saturday morning, February 28th, at a leadership complex in central Tehran. Most importantly, the CIA learned that the Supreme Leader would be present there.

The US and Israel decided to adjust the timing of the attack, partly to take advantage of this new intelligence. That window of opportunity allowed the two countries to seek an early and decisive victory: eliminating high-ranking Iranian officials and assassinating Khamenei.