The United States and Israel entered the war against Iran with a secret plan to install the hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the nation’s new leader, reports New York Times.
The “audacious plan” reportedly emerged following the killing of the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US officials briefed on the matter stated that President Donald Trump believed it was best if “someone from within” took control of the country.
The Times noted that US president was seeking to replicate the model used in Venezuela, where a special force raid kidnapped leader Nicolas Maduro, leading to his replacement by Delcy Rodriguez.
An “unusual choice”
The choice of Ahmadinejad was described by the newspaper as a “vast understatement” regarding its level of surprise. During his presidency from 2005 to 2013, Ahmadinejad was notorious for his calls to “wipe Israel off the map”, his fierce criticism of Washington, and his violent suppression of internal dissent.
However, the report highlighted a shift in rhetoric in 2019, when Ahmadinejad praised Trump as a “man of action” and a businessman capable of calculating “long-term cost-benefit” for both nations.
The ‘jailbreak’ operation
The attempt to secure Ahmadinejad was described as a “jailbreak operation”. On the first day of the war, an Israeli air strike targeted Ahmadinejad’s home in Tehran with the intention of freeing him from house arrest.
While Ahmadinejad survived the strike, he was reportedly wounded. According to US officials and an associate of the former president, Ahmadinejad recognised the strike as an attempt to liberate him but became disillusioned with the regime change plan following the near-miss.
Plan goes “awry”
The plan reportedly “quickly went awry” when Ahmadinejad stopped cooperating with the US and Israeli efforts. Although he managed to escape house arrest despite his injuries, his current whereabouts and condition are unknown.
Prior to these events, Ahmadinejad had become increasingly alienated from the Iranian establishment, clashing with regime leaders over allegations of corruption.
He had been disqualified from several elections, his aides had been arrested, and those close to him had been accused of spying for Israel or having ties to the West.
