Israel and the US Back Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's New Leader?
Leading news reports reveal that Israel and the United States are planning to change the regime in Iran. The plan involves former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, projected to regain power as Iran’s leader.
According to information from US officials familiar with the plan, the strategy was developed ahead of a joint Israeli-US strike against Iran. US President Donald Trump is said to support the idea, believing he could replicate the regime-change model used to remove Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
According to a report released on Tuesday (May 19 local time), Israel planned a precision attack on Ahmadinejad’s residence in Tehran. The main objective of the operation was to disable the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) guards who kept him under house arrest, in order to free the former president.
However, the operation on February 28 did not go as planned. Although the strike succeeded in destroying a security position and killed several IRGC members, the blast reportedly wounded Ahmadinejad. The incident reportedly caused Ahmadinejad to feel betrayed and withdraw from the regime-change plan.
Israeli airstrikes on the first day of the war not only targeted military infrastructure but were also reported to have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as several other senior officials whom Washington considered more open to a dialogue of governance change.
The involvement of Ahmadinejad in this plan is considered ironic by many observers. During his presidency, he was known as a hardline figure who vocally opposed negotiations with the United States and repeatedly called for the elimination of the state of Israel.
The Times report said Ahmadinejad had travelled to Guatemala and Hungary—two countries with close ties to Israel—in 2024 and 2025. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which the anti-Zionist former president was recruited by Western intelligence remains a mystery.
The White House declined to comment specifically on the details of the Ahmadinejad installation plan. However, a government spokesperson said the US military had met or exceeded its objectives.
Currently, Washington’s focus has shifted to diplomatic efforts. ‘Our negotiators are working to reach an agreement that will permanently end Iran’s nuclear capability,’ the official statement said.
As of this report, the whereabouts and health status of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following the attack on his residence remain unclear. (Haaretz/I-2)
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