Who Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? E President And Hardliner Backed In US's Iran Regime Change Plan

Who Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? E President And Hardliner Backed In US's Iran Regime Change Plan Published By, Last Updated: May 20, 2026, 13:35 IST Ahmadinejad served as Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013 and was widely known for his hardline political views and anti-Western rhetoric. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters) Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has hit the headlines after a New York Times report claimed that the United States and Israel entered the early phase of the Iran war with a goal of regime change in Tehran to be led by the hardline leader. As per the report, Israeli officials, after consultations with Ahmadinejad, developed a plan to potentially place him in power if the Iranian regime collapsed during the conflict. US officials quoted in the report claimed that an Israeli air strike on Ahmadinejad’s residence in Tehran was intended to free him from what they described as house arrest after the opening phase of the war. According to officials and one of Ahmadinejad’s associates, the former Iranian president survived the strike but was injured. The report added that the incident reportedly left him disillusioned with the regime-change effort. He has not appeared publicly since then, and his current whereabouts remain unclear. The revelations came amid continuing tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel despite an uneasy truce in recent weeks. According to officials familiar with the matter, Israel had envisioned a multi-stage operation to topple Iran’s theocratic government. The first phase involved joint US-Israeli air strikes and the killing of Iran’s top leadership. The second stage reportedly aimed to create instability through Israeli influence operations and Kurdish mobilisation against Iranian forces. Who is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Ahmadinejad served as Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013 and was widely known for his hardline political views and anti-Western rhetoric. During his presidency, he repeatedly criticised the United States and Israel and strongly defended Iran’s nuclear programme. He also faced international criticism over his remarks denying the Holocaust and claiming there were no gay people in Iran. Ahmadinejad once attended an event titled “A World Without Zionism" and drew condemnation for statements interpreted as calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map." He was also criticised domestically and internationally for cracking down on dissent and protests during his presidency. The report has sparked attention because Ahmadinejad has long been viewed in the West as one of Iran’s most controversial political figures. Despite his history of anti-American and anti-Israel statements, the report claimed some officials in Washington believed he could help stabilise Iran if the current regime weakened or collapsed during the conflict. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Iran First Published: May 20, 2026, 13:35 IST News world Who Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? E President And Hardliner Backed In US's Iran Regime Change Plan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...