Israel in June assassinated more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists, tracing their movements by hacking the cellphones of their bodyguards and drivers, the New York Times reported.

The surprise attack, dubbed Operation Red Wedding, delivered a major blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions and disrupted Iran's command and control for hours.

The security guards carelessly used mobile phones, including posting on social media, helping Israel pinpoint where Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and his subordinates were gathered at their command center, according to five senior Iranian officials, two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and nine Israeli military and intelligence officials who spoke with the Times.

"We know senior officials and commanders did not carry phones, but their interlocutors, security guards, and drivers had phones; they did not take precautions seriously, and this is how most of them were traced," Sasan Karimi, who previously served as the deputy vice president for strategy in Iran's current government and is now a political analyst and lecturer at Tehran University, told the Times.

Added one Israeli defense official: "Using so many bodyguards is a weakness that we imposed on them, and we were able to take advantage of that."

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