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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dake Kang and Sam Mednick

Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool

Iran US Israel - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The role of the Israeli military’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.

Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.

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