New York, 1 March 2026 (dpa/MIA) - The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) played a significant role before the attack on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Citing several unnamed individuals said to be familiar with the operation, the US newspaper reported that the US foreign intelligence agency had tracked Khamenei for months, gaining knowledge of his whereabouts and habits.

The CIA is said to have learned that on Saturday morning, a meeting of senior Iranian officials was to take place in a building complex in the heart of Tehran, and Khamenei would be present there.

Consequently, the US and Israel adjusted the timing of their attacks on Iran. Originally the plan had been to attack overnight, according to the newspaper report.

Iran's state media have now confirmed that Khamenei was killed, which President Donald Trump had already announced.