When US President Donald Trump floated the idea of a regime change in Iran, many names were considered, but a report by the New York Times reveals a surprising name: Iran's hardline former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
According to the report, the US and Israel had planned to install Ahmadinejad as the country's new leader, despite his anti-Israel and anti-US stance in the past.
The plan was reportedly to free Ahmadinejad from house arrest, but after the strike, he became disillusioned with the plan.
American and Israeli officials saw Ahmadinejad as a potential leader of a new government in Iran, further evidence that the war in February was launched with the hopes of installing more pliable leadership in Tehran.
An associate of Ahmadinejad confirmed that the former Iranian President saw the strike at his residence as an attempt to free him, and that the Americans viewed him as someone who could lead Iran and manage its political, social, and military situation.
