How US, Israel struck Iran: Khamenei’s location identified, 30 bombs hit compound

Facts have emerged on how the United States and Israel carried out the air strikes operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

Israeli fighter jets reportedly dropped 30 bombs on a complex housing Khamenei, following intelligence identifying a high-level leadership meeting.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Israeli fighter jets dropped 30 bombs on the complex where Khamenei resides after his location was identified.

The report said Israeli and American intelligence officials had long been waiting for a joint meeting of senior political and military leaders of the Islamic Republic in order to strike them simultaneously.

Israeli officials said intelligence forces ultimately identified three such meetings on Saturday, and Khamenei’s location was also determined at that time.

The Wall Street Journal described the moment as a “unique” opportunity, prompting the attack to be carried out in broad daylight.

The report further cited American sources as saying that Washington had intelligence indicating the Islamic Republic was considering action against American targets before the attack order was issued by US President Donald Trump.

That intelligence, the sources said, added urgency to the US President’s decision.

The US and Israel launched a combined military operation in Iran on Saturday, targeting several military installations, government offices, and the offices of the regime’s top political leadership, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Minister of Defence Amir Naserzadeh, Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi and the Commander-in-Chief, Mohammad Pakpour.

The 86-year-old Khamenei, who had been leading Iran since 1989, was killed in the strike.

Iran has announced 40 days of national mourning after confirming the killing of her Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Following the strikes, Iran threatened it would strike US military installations across West Asia in response to the coordinated US-Israel operation, a threat the U.S. has said would be met with “an unprecedented force.”