In a shocking revelation, a report by The New York Times claimed that Israel chalked up a plan to install former Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor after the assassination of the Supreme Leader and other top Iranian leaders.
Interestingly, Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013, was anti-Israel and known for declaring the Holocaust to be a myth. Holocaust was the genocide of Jews during World War II by the Nazis. He also vowed to destroy Israel and even hinted that Iran could build a nuclear weapon if it needed. So why did Israel wanted a Holocaust denier like Ahmadinejad to lead post-war Iran?
Israel's multi-phase plan for the war included installing an "alternative government" to take charge after the current regime is toppled. For this, Israel consulted Ahmadinejad, who is under house arrest and guarded by officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Gaurd Corps (IRGC), reports NYT.
The plan was to strike Ahmadinejad's residence during the opening salvo of the war. The strike was intended to target the IRGC officers and not the ex-president. However, he was wounded in the attack, following which he reportedly reneged on the Mossad plan.
Ahmadinejad has been missing ever since the war began. It should be noted that after he stepped down as president in 2013, the Islamic regime stopped him from running in elections again. Later, he became a regime critic and accused officials of corruption.
An associate of Ahmadinejad told NYT that the Americans viewed Ahmadinejad as someone who could lead Iran, and had the capability to manage "Iran's political, social and military situation," the NYT reported.
