The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Israel's Mossad are conducting a joint operation to locate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, The Times reports, citing sources.
The report said the objective of the operation is not to eliminate him but to determine whether he is alive, establish his whereabouts, and assess his condition.
According to The Times, the intelligence agencies are relying exclusively on human intelligence, as Khamenei has not used electronic devices since February 28.
Experts cited said the ayatollah cannot remain completely cut off from the outside world.
The CIA and Mossad are reportedly attempting to track couriers delivering handwritten messages from the leader and hope to recruit someone who has direct contact with him.
The newspaper noted that only two or three members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are believed to know Khamenei's current location.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
