AP learned about the CIA's surveillance of Iranian leaders for several months

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States had been monitoring Iranian leaders for several months before the start of the military operation in Iran. This was reported on March 1 by the Associated Press (AP), citing a source.

"The CIA has been monitoring the movements of senior Iranian leaders for several months, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," the material says.

According to the agency, this intelligence was passed on to Israel. Due to this, the timing of strikes during the military operation was partially adjusted.

The New York Times (NYT) newspaper on the same day also reported on the CIA's surveillance of Iranian leaders and Khamenei. So, American intelligence found out that on Saturday, February 28, a meeting of senior Iranian officials will take place.

Three out of four: who will be able to lead Iran after the death of Ali Khamenei

Among the possible candidates for the post is the son of a former riding leader and a descendant of the deposed shah.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Iran. Trump called her goal "protecting the American people."

As part of the Israeli-American Operation Lion's Roar, which used the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles, military installations in western Iran, the residence of the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as an elementary school in the city of Minab were hit.

In response, Iran launched Operation True Promise 4 and attacked American military bases in the Middle East, as well as Israeli cities. The UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman and other Persian Gulf countries were affected by the Iranian attacks.

Later, on March 1, it became known that the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed as a result of Israeli attacks. The Iranian government has declared national mourning. An interim governing council has been established in the country. Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian has vowed to avenge Khamenei's death. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the death of the Iranian leader and condemned the assassination.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.