According to a report by the New York Times on May 19, the United States and Israel devised a plan to remove Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and install former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had been under house arrest, as a leader during the early stages of the Iran war. However, attempts to engage with Ahmadinejad, known for his hardline stance, ultimately failed.
The newspaper noted that in the initial phase of the conflict, U.S. and Israeli officials considered Ahmadinejad a "pragmatic figure" who could lead Iran after the collapse of Khamenei's regime. U.S. officials described him as someone within the government who, while not a moderate, showed a willingness to cooperate with the U.S.
This strategy resembled the U.S. operation earlier this year when former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was extradited to New York. The approach involved replacing a dictator and allowing a moderate figure from within the regime to take charge. The Times reported that President Trump enjoyed the success of the operation to capture Maduro and seemed eager to replicate this model elsewhere.
For Ahmadinejad, the prospect of U.S. and Israeli support was appealing. In recent years, he had publicly accused the Iranian Islamic regime's leadership of corruption, leading to speculation about his loyalty. He was disqualified from running for president in 2017, 2021, and 2024. Reports indicated that his disqualification in 2017 followed his criticism of Khamenei and expressions of respect for the monarchy. Recently, Ahmadinejad's activities have been restricted to his home in eastern Tehran.
The Times also highlighted Ahmadinejad's visits to Guatemala in 2023 and Hungary in 2024 and 2025, noting that both countries have good relations with Israel. In 2023, he attended a water management conference in Guatemala, where he mentioned on Instagram that Iranian security authorities had delayed returning his passport.
On February 28, U.S. and Israeli airstrikes commenced. Following these attacks, Khamenei and several military leaders, including Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed. Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured. However, Ahmadinejad's residence sustained little damage, while Revolutionary Guard members monitoring his home were killed. Ahmadinejad and his family took refuge underground, a situation described as a "virtual escape operation" by The Atlantic. A close associate of Ahmadinejad confirmed to the Times that the operation by U.S. and Israeli forces was an attempt to free him.
Three months into the conflict and amid ongoing ceasefire conditions, finding traces of Ahmadinejad has proven difficult. Reports indicate that he has made a few public speeches congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei on his rise to leadership through state media. Contrary to U.S. and Israeli expectations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, considered the heart of the Iranian regime, has demonstrated resilience, asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz. DPA reported, citing the Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency, that the Revolutionary Guard approved the passage of 26 vessels, including South Korean ships, through the Strait in the past 24 hours. The Times noted that while Ahmadinejad survived the airstrikes, he has become disillusioned with the regime change plan.
Although the plan ultimately failed, the U.S. and Israel's consideration of the "Ahmadinejad card" is seen as an unexpected choice given his hardline actions during his presidency. He gained notoriety for controversial statements, including claims that the U.S. orchestrated the 9/11 attacks to support Israel and calls to erase Israel from the map. Western media often referred to him as "Mr. Evil." However, after Barack Obama was elected president, he sent a congratulatory message expressing a desire for "real and fundamental change." In a 2019 interview with the Times, he described President Trump as an "action-oriented businessman" and suggested that he would advocate for a long-term calculation of benefits for both the U.S. and Iran.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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