The C.I.A. Helped Pinpoint a Gathering of Iranian Leaders. Then Israel Struck.

The United States Central Intelligence Agency provided crucial intelligence to Israel that helped pinpoint a gathering of Iranian leaders, which was subsequently targeted in an Israeli airstrike that killed Iran's supreme leader and other top officials, according to sources familiar with the operation, reflecting the close military coordination between the two nations amid rising tensions following last year's 12-day war. The remarkably swift removal of Iran's supreme leader reflected the close coordination and intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel in the run-up to the attack, and the deep intelligence the countries had developed on Iranian leadership. The operation also showed the failure of Iran's leaders to take adequate precautions to avoid exposing themselves at a time where both Israel and the U.S. sent clear signals that they were preparing for war. The intelligence sharing between CIA and Israeli intelligence agencies appears to have reached an unprecedented level, allowing for precise targeting of what would normally be highly protected Iranian leadership gatherings, demonstrating the effectiveness of recent intelligence cooperation between the two allies who have both viewed Iran as a significant regional threat.