Israel used Tehran's compromised street surveillance cameras to track and kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, according to intelligence officials familiar with the operation. The incident highlights growing concerns about surveillance systems being weaponized in modern warfare.

Two sources with knowledge of the operation told the Associated Press that hacked surveillance cameras were among the intelligence tools used in the killing. Iran had installed tens of thousands of cameras across Tehran to monitor protests, but the system had been repeatedly compromised by hackers since 2021.

The vulnerabilities in Iran's surveillance network were well-documented prior to the attack. In September, Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian publicly warned that Israeli hackers controlled intersection cameras throughout Tehran. Previous hacking incidents included a 2021 breach of Tehran's Evin prison cameras and a 2022 hack that exposed over 5,000 cameras around the capital.

Cybersecurity experts say advances in artificial intelligence have made surveillance footage more valuable for military operations. AI systems can now automatically scan video feeds and identify targets in real time, a process that previously required teams of analysts working for weeks or months. Security engineer Paul Marrapese estimates nearly three million unprotected cameras exist worldwide, with about 2,000 in Iran alone.

According to sources briefed on the operation, Israeli intelligence had accessed most of Tehran's traffic cameras for years, transferring data to servers in Israel. The cameras provided detailed information about daily movement patterns around Iran's leadership compound, including parking locations and security routines. Algorithms helped analyze this data to determine addresses, work routes, and protection details.

The use of hacked surveillance systems in warfare has increased since 2023, when Hamas used compromised Israeli cameras to monitor army patrols before the October 7 attack. Russia has similarly targeted Ukrainian surveillance systems throughout their conflict. Regional governments are now reassessing camera security, with Gulf states restricting public filming of military operations and Israel's cyber directorate warning hundreds of camera owners about potential Iranian targeting.