FT Report Claims Years-Long Cyber Spy Operation Behind Khamenei Assassination

TEHRAN (Web Desk): The martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sent shockwaves across the Islamic world, with new claims emerging about how the alleged assassination may have been planned.

According to a report by the Financial Times, a years-long cyber intelligence operation may have played a key role. The report claims that Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad and Unit 8200, hacked surveillance cameras across Tehran to monitor security patterns linked to Khamenei.

The newspaper alleged that traffic cameras were secretly accessed, and video feeds were redirected to external servers, giving operatives detailed insights into daily routines and security movements. Advanced data analysis reportedly helped create “patterns of life” profiles of protection teams, including addresses, travel routes and work schedules.

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The report further claimed that mobile phone networks near Pasteur Street were deliberately disrupted, limiting communication among security personnel and preventing possible warnings before the attack.

Sources cited in the report said the intelligence gathered was so detailed that officials compared their understanding of Tehran’s security environment to their knowledge of Jerusalem. It was also claimed that the information was later supported by a human intelligence source and shared with American partners.

However, the claims remain unverified, and questions continue over how much of the reported cyber operation reflects confirmed facts. The developments underline how modern digital surveillance and cyber warfare are increasingly shaping geopolitical conflicts.