Israel and the United States went into Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury with the goal of reinstating former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the nation’s new leader, according to a Tuesday New York Times report citing US officials briefed on the matter. An associate of Ahmadinejad told the NYT that the Americans viewed Mr. Ahmadinejad as someone who could lead Iran and manage “Iran’s political, social, and military situation.” Ahmadinejad served as Iranian president from 2005 until 2013. Following this, he has been barred three times from running for president again by an unelected 12-member Guardian Council, in 2017, 2021, and 2024. After the 2017 disqualification, he reportedly also became a vocal critic of Ali Khamenei.
He is also known, per the NYT, for his hard-line anti-Israel and anti-American views. Ahmadinejad’s freedom of movement had been restricted following the mass anti-regime protests in January, according to a March report by The Atlantic. His phones were reportedly confiscated, and the number of his bodyguards was raised to approximately 50. The March Atlantic report also revealed that the joint Israel-US strike on Ahmadinejad’s home was an attempt to free rather than assassinate him. Following this discovery, an associate of the former Iranian president told the NYT he did indeed view the strike as a jailbreak attempt. The plan to reinstall Ahmadinejad was initially developed by Israel and had been discussed with him, the NYT claimed. However, the report said the plan ultimately failed after he was wounded during the jailbreak attempt and his whereabouts and condition since the strike are unknown. Since his alleged escape, Ahmadinejad has delivered a few public addresses, including a congratulatory message on Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to the position of supreme leader.
