U.S. and Israel eyed Ahmadinejad for Iran regime change
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- The New York Times reported that the United States and Israel were planning a regime‑change strategy that would install former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s leader.
- U.S. officials briefed on the plan said Israel had crafted a multistage scheme that surprisingly placed Ahmadinejad in power despite his past anti‑Israeli statements and support for Iran’s nuclear program.
- Ahmadinejad was injured in the opening days of the conflict, and the plan “never materialized” after he survived the strikes and became disillusioned.
- U.S.–Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a fact noted in the report.
- The White House said President Trump’s goals in Iran were clear, that the military met its objectives, and that negotiators were working to end Iran’s nuclear capabilities, framing the operation as not about regime change.
- Trump publicly described Operation Epic Fury as targeting Iran’s missiles, navy, and nuclear infrastructure, not a plan to replace the regime.
Why it matters: The failure of the scheme leaves Iran’s existing leadership in place, preserving hard‑liners’ power and denying the United States and Israel a potentially compliant successor, while highlighting the practical limits of covert regime‑change operations and underscoring the risk that injuries to chosen proxies can derail such plans.
