Israel spent years hacking Tehran traffic cameras and infiltrating mobile networks to track the movements of Iran’s supreme leader, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The report said Israeli intelligence agencies compromised large parts of Tehran’s traffic camera network, allowing operatives to monitor convoys and security escorts linked to Ali Khamenei. Footage was allegedly encrypted and transmitted for analysis, helping to build detailed movement patterns over several years.
Sources cited in the report claimed Israel also penetrated mobile phone systems used by senior Iranian officials and members of the supreme leader’s security detail. Advanced data analytics and behavioural mapping were reportedly deployed to anticipate routes, timings and safe locations.
The surveillance operation is said to have played a critical role in confirming Khamenei’s presence at a specific site shortly before the strike that killed him. Intelligence gathered through hacked cameras and digital monitoring allegedly enabled precise timing of the attack.
Neither Iranian authorities nor the Israeli government have publicly confirmed the full extent of the cyber operation. However, security analysts say the revelations underline the growing fusion of cyber espionage and conventional military action.
The alleged hacking of civilian infrastructure such as traffic cameras has intensified concerns about vulnerabilities in urban surveillance systems. Experts warn that modern cities, increasingly reliant on networked technology, may face heightened exposure in future conflicts.
The development marks a significant escalation in the long running shadow war between Iran and Israel, pushing cyber warfare further into the centre of geopolitical confrontation.
