The United States and Israel worked together to bring a surprising figure to power in Iran: former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for his extreme positions against Israel and the US. The New York Times revealed the details in an exclusive report.
According to the report, the daring plan was drawn up by Israel in coordination with the US after the elimination of Iran's supreme leader, and Ahmadinejad himself was involved in consultations about it. But the plan went awry: An Israeli Air Force strike intended to eliminate the guards monitoring him and free him from house arrest also hit Ahmadinejad himself.
Photo: AP
American officials who were briefed on the details of the plan told The New York Times that in the early days of the war, Israel and the US developed joint plans to identify a pragmatic figure who could seize power in Tehran.
They said intelligence indicated that figures inside the Iranian regime were prepared to cooperate with the US, even if they could not be described as "moderates."
A few days after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump publicly mused that it would be better if "someone from within" took over Iran, a remark that, in light of this report, takes on a completely different meaning.
