Israel Targets Iranian Leadership by Hacking Bodyguards’ Phones During June Conflict

During the June 2025 conflict between Israel and Iran, Israeli intelligence successfully tracked and targeted Iran’s top political, military, and nuclear leadership by exploiting a critical security weakness: the mobile phones carried by their bodyguards and drivers. Despite Iran’s senior officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, taking precautions by not carrying phones themselves during secret meetings in fortified bunkers, Israeli operatives hacked the phones of accompanying guards who often used them carelessly, including for social media posts. This breach enabled Israel to pinpoint the location of a high-level meeting inside a bunker near Tehran, which was subsequently struck by Israeli airstrikes, killing several bodyguards but sparing the leaders. The operation, known as "Operation Red Wedding," led to the assassination of numerous Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists and revealed the depth of Israel’s infiltration into Tehran’s most secure circles. In response, Iran has increased security measures, banned phones for guards, and conducted arrests, yet insiders admit the vulnerability exposed by the bodyguards’ use of phones represents a deeper systemic problem. Israeli officials acknowledged that the heavy reliance on bodyguards carrying phones became a critical weakness that Israel deliberately exploited to decapitate Iran’s leadership during the conflict.