It is little wonder, then, that Khamenei is, in the words of Yaakov Amidror, Israel’s former national security advisor, “probably one of the most cautious people in the world.”

“He understands that he must be the next target,” Gen Amidror said. “I am sure that he is moving from one place to another, trying to find a place where he feels comfortable.”

How and when to strike

Israel has almost certainly spent years gathering information on Khamenei’s movements, using a blend of human, operational and artificial intelligence.

Mossad is likely to have attempted to embed agents within his inner circle by recruiting disillusioned officials, resentful guards, or even low-level staff with access to his quarters.

Signal intelligence would also be crucial. While Khamenei himself avoids electronic devices, the same cannot be said for those around him. Intercepted phone calls, emails and encrypted traffic would all be monitored by Israeli analysts.

Artificial intelligence systems would then process that data to identify probable locations and track patterns in his movements.

Once confirmed, a kill operation could then take many forms: a drone strike, a street-level assassination, or an air force attack. Special forces might even be deployed by helicopter, as in the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

“How we would do it depends on the intelligence,” said Gen Amridror. “If he’s in a bunker, you use the air force. If he’s in an apartment, you use a drone. If he’s in a car then you use an agent in the street.”