US and Israel Reportedly Ramp Up Human Intelligence Hunt for Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei

The United States and Israel are reportedly intensifying a covert search for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, with human intelligence taking center stage as electronic surveillance becomes less effective. According to multiple reports, the CIA and Mossad are using informants and other ground-level networks to determine whether he is alive and where he may be hiding.

A shift from digital tracking to human sources

The latest reporting suggests that traditional electronic tools like signal interception and device tracking are offering limited value because Khamenei is believed to avoid phones and other common communication devices. That has pushed intelligence services toward HUMINT, or human intelligence, which relies on people rather than sensors to collect information.

One report says the agencies are trying first to confirm that Khamenei is still alive, and then to map his location through indirect channels, including couriers and other trusted intermediaries. The focus on human networks reflects the difficulty of monitoring a target who has remained out of public sight for months.

Why Khamenei is so hard to find

Several reports describe Khamenei as deeply concealed, with no public appearances since February 2026. Sources cited in the coverage say he has avoided electronic communications and may be sheltered in a fortified underground location, making conventional surveillance far less useful.

That secrecy has reportedly made him a far more elusive target than his father, whose movements were easier to monitor through a combination of routine patterns and technical intelligence. Intelligence officials are now said to be relying on longstanding knowledge of Iran’s internal security structure and the people around it.

The intelligence playbook behind the search

Earlier reporting on similar operations described a layered approach that combined hacked traffic cameras, satellite imagery, intercepted communications, artificial intelligence, and human sources to identify patterns of life among Iran’s senior leadership. In this case, however, the available information indicates that human sources are becoming the decisive tool.

Analysts quoted in the coverage argue that when a target avoids phones, laptops, and routine digital footprints, the best chance of finding him comes from the people who move between secure locations. That is why couriers, aides, and members of the surrounding network are reportedly under close scrutiny.

What this means for the broader conflict

If the reports are accurate, the search for Khamenei shows how intelligence warfare between Iran, the US, and Israel has evolved into a contest of concealment and detection. The use of covert human networks suggests that both governments see leadership tracking as strategically important, not just for intelligence gathering but for shaping future military or political options.

For now, the key unanswered question is simple: whether Khamenei is still alive and, if so, how long he can remain hidden from two of the world’s most capable intelligence services.