JPOST
Israel, US early war goals sought to reinstate Iran’s Ahmadinejad as leader, NYT reports
Maya Zanger-Davis
May 20, 2026

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.”…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. READ MORE

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