The U.S. and Israel explored a covert regime-change plan to reinstall former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the leader of Iran [1, 3].
This operation represents a high-stakes attempt to reshape the Middle East's political landscape by installing a puppet ruler after eliminating the existing Iranian power structure [3, 4].
According to reports, the plan involved a coordinated effort to decapitate the Iranian government [1, 3]. The strategy sought to kill the Supreme Leader and other top officials to create a power vacuum [3, 4]. U.S. and Israeli officials, including the Mossad intelligence agency, said Ahmadinejad could serve as a more controllable figure despite his history of anti-Israel rhetoric [1, 3].
The operation aimed to stabilize the region under a hard-line leader who would be beholden to the architects of the coup [3, 4]. However, the plot collapsed following an Israeli strike on Ahmadinejad’s residence in Tehran [1, 3].
Details of the plan emerged in reports published this week, including a New York Times article dated May 19, 2026 [3]. The operation targeted the heart of the Iranian capital to ensure the rapid removal of the current leadership [1, 3].
Officials involved in the planning said the former president was a viable alternative to the current regime, a gamble that relied on the successful execution of multiple high-profile assassinations [3, 4]. The failure of the plan followed the direct military action against the intended puppet leader's home, effectively ending the possibility of his installation [1, 3].
“The plan involved a coordinated effort to decapitate the Iranian government”
The reported operation underscores a shift toward aggressive, covert regime-change strategies in the Middle East. By targeting the Supreme Leader and attempting to install a former president, the US and Israel sought to bypass traditional diplomacy in favor of a controlled leadership structure. The failure of the plan highlights the volatility of using hard-line figures as political pawns and the risks associated with precision strikes in urban centers like Tehran.
