Israeli hack exposes Iranian leadership meeting vulnerabilities

In June, Iranian authorities faced a significant security breach when Israeli intelligence successfully hacked the mobile phones of bodyguards protecting prominent leaders in Iran. This hacking allowed Israeli forces to locate a secret meeting being held by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which included high-ranking officials such as President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards. The meeting took place in an underground chamber near Tehran, 100 feet beneath a mountain slope. Shortly after the meeting commenced on June 16, Israeli jets deployed six bombs targeting the site, causing substantial destruction and resulting in injuries among the security personnel. Although the leaders themselves survived the attack, one official sustained a leg injury, and another required hospital treatment for breathing difficulties after escaping from the rubble. Following this incident, Iran acknowledged the grave security lapse and enacted a ban on mobile phones among bodyguards of senior officials, military leaders, and nuclear scientists, highlighting the extent to which Israeli surveillance has penetrated Iran's inner decision-making circles. Tehran's response involved escalating internal security measures, including detaining several officials suspected of being complicit in the breach and executing one scientist accused of espionage for Israel. The ramifications of this infiltration have left Iranian leaders contemplating the fragility of their power, as President Pezeshkian noted that had the strike taken the entire leadership out, it could have led the country into chaos.