US and Israel eyedand Israel eyed Ahmadinejad for Iran leadership change
Reports say the United States and Israel discussed installing former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the opening strikes of their war with Iran, following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader and other senior officials.
The plan was part of an early regime-change concept that also depended on finding Iranian figures seen as more open to negotiation. The disclosure matters because it shows the war’s initial goals went beyond military pressure and into a risky bid to reshape Iran’s government.
US-Israel planning view
The reports describe Washington and Jerusalem as treating leadership change as part of their opening strategy, not a later afterthought. In that view, Ahmadinejad was seen as a figure who might help manage a transition after the strikes removed top authority.
Iranian sovereignty view
From Tehran’s perspective, the reported plan would look like an attempt by outside powers to choose Iran’s leadership. That would reinforce long-running Iranian claims that foreign governments seek to decide the country’s political future.
- Ahmadinejad’s 2005 election was a political upset that boosted his reputation among hardliners.
- Tehran sits on the southern slopes of the Alborz mountains, giving it a strategic and crowded urban setting.
- Iran’s political system blends elected institutions with unelected oversight bodies, making leadership transitions unusually complex.
US-Iran Ceasefire War
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on June 26, 2026, in response to a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "foolish violation" of the 60-day ceasefire agreement signed just days earlier[2][4][14].
26 June, 09:35 PM
US launches strikes against Iran following commercial ship attack26 June, 04:47 PM
Trump calls Iran drone attack on cargo ship a ceasefire violation
