Why Saturday? How Israel-US strikes targeted Khamenei and his inner circle

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in a daylight pre-emptive airstrike in a joint operation by US and Israel on Saturday.

Iranian confirmed early Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died following the attack. US President Donald Trump described Khamenei’s death as offering Iranians their “greatest chance” to reclaim control of their country.

The operation - dubbed as 'The Epic Fury' - was timed to coincide with a meeting of the country’s top leadership, according to US officials.

Why US chose Saturday to carry out the strikes?

The joint US-Israel operation, reportedly planned for months, took place Saturday during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and at the start of the Iranian workweek.

The attack marked a dramatic escalation in US intervention in Iran, raising the risk of retaliatory violence and a broader conflict, while showcasing the military reach of a president who came to office on an “America First” platform and pledged to avoid “forever wars.”

A US official added that the strike was designed to target Khamenei first, in order to maintain the element of surprise, amid concerns that he might go into hiding if given the chance, as cited by Reuters.

Two Iranian sources told Reuters that Khamenei met on Saturday with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a secure location shortly before the strikes started.

Two US sources and a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said confirmation of Khamenei’s meeting with top advisers triggered the Israeli-US air and naval operation.

Also read: The fall of Ayatollah Khamenei: How Iran’s Supreme Leader met his end
The CIA monitored Khamenei for several months and shared detailed, high-confidence intelligence with Israel indicating he would attend a meeting of senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday, according to a report by The New York Times.

Israeli intelligence independently confirmed the gathering at a leadership compound, where senior defence officials were expected to convene. US and Israeli officials subsequently advanced plans for a strike to capitalize on the opportunity, the report said.

The precise location of Khamenei’s meeting was not immediately known. Nevertheless, his high-security compound in Tehran was targeted at the start of the operation, with satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters confirming that it had been destroyed.

One source noted that the meeting had initially been expected on Saturday evening in Tehran, but Israeli intelligence detected it taking place Saturday morning, prompting the strikes to be moved forward, as cited by Reuters.

It followed tense negotiations and warnings from Trump, who last year highlighted his administration’s success in limiting Iran’s nuclear program but framed the latest strike as necessary to prevent a potential resurgence.

Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump administration deployed what officials described as the largest concentration of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.

While Trump publicly pushed for a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, Iran faced mounting domestic unrest following nationwide protests.

Although Trump declared last year that US strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Tehran had begun rebuilding damaged infrastructure. Intelligence assessments indicated that Iran had developed the capability to produce high-quality centrifuges domestically—an essential component for enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels.

Iran has said it sought to avoid war but maintained its right to enrich uranium. While Tehran has stated it has not enriched uranium since June, it has barred international inspectors from accessing sites targeted in US strikes. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press showed renewed activity at two of those locations, suggesting efforts to assess damage and potentially recover material.

Also read: US-Israel Strikes On Iran Live Updates