US, Israel reportedly considered Ahmadinejad for Iran leadership role, NYT report says
The New York Times reported that the US and Israel allegedly considered former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a leadership role in Iran during the early stages of the war, viewing him as a possible figure for a political transition.
The United States and Israel allegedly discussed installing former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a possible leader of Iran during the early stages of their conflict with Tehran, according to a New York Times report cited by Al Jazeera. The proposal reportedly emerged after attacks that killed senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Despite Ahmadinejad’s history of anti-Western and anti-Israeli rhetoric, officials reportedly viewed him as someone who could manage a political transition because of his growing distance from Iran’s current establishment. The plan, however, did not advance, with reports indicating Ahmadinejad was injured during the conflict and later withdrew from any involvement.
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The reported discussions have drawn attention because Ahmadinejad, who served as Iran’s president from 2005 to 2013, had long been seen as a hardline figure but had also fallen out with Iran’s ruling leadership in recent years.
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Benson Wafula is a senior digital journalist at the Somali Report with over a decade of experience covering East Africa, specializing in digital reporting and video production.