. Top officials close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been killed in an attack guided by the US intelligence agency CIA, the New York Times reported Sunday.

According to reports, Khamenei and security officials close to him attended a meeting at Tehran’s leadership compound on Saturday morning as part of a US and Israeli plan. The operation was started by the US after informing Israel and the missile was fired at 6 am.

Iran’s judiciary confirmed that the head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour and top security adviser Ali Shamkhani were killed in a building near Khamenei. According to the Times, US intelligence had been tracking Khamenei’s movements for months, and the attack was planned accordingly.

Iran has reportedly launched a counteroffensive in the Gulf near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi and regional US military bases as the risk of a major regional conflict grows. U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. military bombing would continue “unless necessary.”

The incident has highlighted the risk of direct US and Israeli intervention in the Middle East and a strategic attack on Iran’s leadership, which has strained regional security and international diplomacy.