The US had a surprising plan after overthrowing the regime in Iran. The leader was supposed to be a “madman from Tehran”

While Israel and the United States were bombing Iran and openly speculating about a change of power in Tehran, a name emerged behind the scenes that surprised everyone: former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. For years, he was a hardliner, a declared enemy of Israel and a vocal opponent of the US. During his eight-year presidency from 2005 to 2013, Ahmadinejad was considered one of the most dangerous people in the world and was known as the “Madman of Tehran”.

Now, according to the New York Times, citing several US administration officials and a person close to Ahmadinejad, Israel and the United States were not only talking about a potential regime change, but also had specific plans for the period after the possible coup. In this context, as it turns out, Ahmadinejad's name appeared as a possible factor of influence in the new balance of power.

What is particularly sensational is that, according to the newspaper, Ahmadinejad was even involved in these deliberations. An Israeli airstrike on his home in Tehran was intended to free him from house arrest. The target of the raid was the security services that were guarding it, say American officials and an associate of the president in the NYT. However, the plan apparently failed. The former president survived the attack, but suffered injuries.

Ahmadinejad backed down

Later, the plan appears to have stalled. According to the newspaper, Ahmadinejad distanced himself from the idea of ​​a coup. He has not appeared in public since then and his exact whereabouts remain unknown. His health condition also raises many speculations.

Considerations about a change of power are nothing new – at the beginning of the war, it was Donald Trump who announced regime change as the official goal of the conflict. Trump has said publicly that it would be good if someone from the inside took power in Iran. As the newspaper reported, some strategists hoped for new leadership that could act more pragmatically — even if it was not considered moderate.

He threatened to annihilate Israel

What is surprising in this situation is that for many years Ahmadinejad was the face of anti-Western Iran. During his presidency, he denied the Holocaust and threatened that Israel would “disappear from the map of the world.” He also vigorously defended Iran's nuclear program. The idea of ​​making him the central figure of the political breakthrough seems controversial, to say the least.

However, “NYT” places Ahmadinejad's idea in a broader plan. Precise attacks on leaders and growing internal pressure were intended to destabilize the regime and enable a coup. However, the reality turned out to be different. The power apparatus in Tehran has remained stable, even if there has already been a change at the top. The new supreme leader was the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtab Khamenei.