Some aspects of the latest operation remain unknown, and they may never become public to keep the sources and methods used for surveillance of other targets secret, reports The Financial Times.
The elimination of Khamenei was politically motivated, rather than merely a result of technological progress. The operation against Iran was prepared over several months; however, details were altered when U.S. and Israeli intelligence confirmed that Khamenei and his closest aides would be at his Tehran complex on Saturday morning.
It is concluded that after the onset of full-scale war, the "hunt" will become a much more complicated task, as Iranian authorities will quickly resort to pre-prepared concealment measures, including hiding in underground bunkers that are impervious to Israeli strikes.
Unlike his ally, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Khamenei did not live under constant concealment. Nevertheless, in light of military actions, he took some precautions. "He was uncomfortable being outside the bunker—he had two of them, and if he were in one of them, Israel would not be able to reach him," noted a source.
Although the U.S. president openly expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of negotiations, according to a source, Trump was privately "disappointed with Iran's responses," which, in turn, led to the start of the conflict.
Israeli intelligence had data from radio surveillance—including hacked cameras and mobile networks. However, U.S. intelligence had an even more valuable source of information—a person.
This allowed Israeli aircraft, which had been in the air for several hours, to carry out up to 30 precise strikes. Israeli military officials noted that the choice of day for the attack provided a tactical advantage. "Striking in the morning rather than at night allowed Israel to achieve surprise once again, despite Iran's heightened readiness," they claim.
According to media reports, military actions are ongoing, including airstrikes and missile attacks.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense confirmed information about the attack on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh.
The diplomatic mission was attacked by two drones, leading to a fire on its territory, the agency reported.
Iran also carried out a missile strike on Israel using cluster munitions, reported the Mehr agency.
Militants from the Iraqi pro-Iranian group "Saraya Awliya al-Dam" attacked a drone with a kamikaze strike on a hotel building in Erbil, where, according to their claims, American military personnel were present.
Reuters confirmed the strike and the presence of American military personnel in that hotel.
Iranian Major General Ibrahim Jabbari stated on Iranian television that the IRGC has closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and intends to attack vessels attempting to pass through it.
"The Strait of Hormuz is closed. We will attack and set fire to every vessel that tries to pass. (Vessels attempting to pass) will be burned by our heroes from the Naval and Ground Forces of the Revolutionary Guard," he noted.
"Do not come to this region. Oil prices have reached $82, and the world expects them to rise to at least $200. We will also attack pipelines and will not allow a drop of oil to be exported from the region," Jabbari added.
A response from the U.S. soon followed.
"CENTCOM states that the Strait of Hormuz is not closed, despite the IRGC's statement. Iran is not patrolling the strait, and there are currently no signs of it being mined. 80% of their oil goes to China. Mining the strait would harm Iran and its key ally," wrote Fox News journalist Jennifer Griffin on social media X.
Vice President JD Vance stated that the U.S. has numerous options for military operations against Iran that could last a long time.
"The president has made it clear that the United States has a wide range of actions. And we can continue for a while longer, or even much longer," Vance said on Fox News.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran should expect more serious retaliatory actions from American military forces.
"I am not going to disclose details of our tactical efforts, but the heaviest strikes from American troops are yet to come. The next phase will be even harsher for Iran than the current one," Rubio stated.
He added that the operation in Iran will take as long as necessary.
"We have goals. We will act until we achieve them," emphasized the head of the State Department.
"The goal of this operation is to destroy their ballistic missile capabilities and prevent its restoration," Rubio noted.
Half of Americans do not support attacks on Iran, according to a WP poll.
The Washington Post conducted an emergency poll involving a thousand Americans to gauge their opinions on U.S. strikes against Iran. According to the results, the majority of respondents opposed the actions. Specifically, 13% chose the option "somewhat opposed," while 39% expressed "strong opposition." Only 22% of respondents stated full support for Trump's actions.
Most respondents reportedly believe that Trump has vaguely outlined the goals of Operation "Epic Fury." However, about half of the poll participants think that the actions of the American military will contribute to the long-term security of the U.S. and support measures aimed at stopping Iran's nuclear program.
Donald Trump: I won't get bored. If I were getting bored, I wouldn't be standing here.
The U.S. president stated that the goal of the operation in Iran is to destroy missile production and the fleet, as well as to "prevent them from ever obtaining nuclear weapons" and "not allow the regime to finance terrorists in other countries":
"We have the most powerful army in the world. And we will easily defeat the enemy. We are already ahead of schedule. No matter how long it takes, we will achieve our goal. We anticipated that it would take 4-5 weeks, but we are ready to fight as long as it takes. The media claims that I will lose interest in a week or two. I won't get bored. If I were getting bored, I wouldn't be standing here."
In a phone interview with CNN, Trump also stated that American military forces are "blowing Iran to smithereens," adding that "a big wave" is still ahead:
"We are destroying them. I believe everything is going very well. It's very powerful. We have the best army in the world, and we are using it."
When asked if the U.S. is taking any actions beyond military strikes to help the Iranian people, Trump replied: "Yes":
"Indeed, we are doing that. But right now we want everyone to stay home. It is not safe outside. We haven't even started hitting them hard yet. The big wave has not yet come. It will come soon."
The post "Americans had an intelligence source in Khamenei's circle. The war in Iran continues" first appeared on K-News.
