Report: Air strike aimed to restore ex-Iranian president as leader

American and Israeli officials allegedly viewed Ahmadinejad as a viable postwar leader for Iran.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli airstrike in Iran that wounded former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reportedly intended to free him from house arrest, with the goal of seeing him take control of the country following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to a new report.

Ahmadinejad, who served as Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013, was allegedly the figure Israeli authorities hoped would emerge as the country’s leader in the event of regime change triggered by the war that erupted in late February, according to a report by The New York Times.

After leaving office, Ahmadinejad was barred from running again and later became an outspoken critic of Khamenei. Following the economic protests that began in late 2025, Iranian authorities reportedly placed Ahmadinejad under house arrest in Tehran.

Despite being a staunch supporter of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and known for his hardline anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric, American and Israeli officials reportedly viewed Ahmadinejad as a viable replacement to lead the country.

The reasoning may stem from Ahmadinejad’s growing dispute with Iran’s current leadership.

According to the Times report, Ahmadinejad had been informed about the alleged plan and initially supported it until he was wounded in the airstrike intended to free him.

Since then, he has reportedly gone underground and is no longer disclosing his whereabouts. However, he did issue a congratulatory message to Mojtaba Khamenei after he was appointed supreme leader following his father’s death.

An associate of Ahmadinejad told the Times that American officials viewed him as someone capable of managing “Iran’s political, social and military situation.”

The associate also claimed Ahmadinejad believed the strike on his residence was an attempt to free him. The attack reportedly killed IRGC soldiers stationed at the home who were effectively keeping him confined.

In a 2019 interview with the Times, Ahmadinejad offered praise for President Donald Trump.

“Mr. Trump is a man of action,” Ahmadinejad said. “He is a businessman, and therefore he is capable of calculating cost-benefits and making a decision. We say to him, let’s calculate the long-term cost benefit of our two nations and not be shortsighted.”