Israel's Secret Plan to Topple Iran's Regime Using Ahmadinejad Revealed

In late June 2025, following the conclusion of Operation "With the Dog," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a decisive stance against Iran. Behind the scenes, however, Mossad was developing an ambitious plan named "Puss in Boots" aimed at overthrowing the Iranian regime. Then-Mossad chief David Barnea championed the plan, presenting it as achievable to Israeli political leaders. The operation identified former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, referred to in confidential talks as "the friend," as the prospective leader to replace the current regime.

The strategy involved a large-scale Israeli Air Force attack in the Kurdish region to open a corridor for Kurdish forces into Iran, anticipating that initial success would ignite mass protests across the country. Thousands of Kurdish fighters were brought to Israel for training and operational rehearsals, with strict instructions that harming civilians would halt Israeli support. In January 2026, amid massive protests in Iran, there was consideration to accelerate the operation, but Israel requested a delay due to readiness concerns.

During a February meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump asked Netanyahu when Israel would be ready to proceed. Barnea estimated the regime's fall could take about a year, while Mossad deputy Yossi Zamir suggested it might take up to three years. Trump eventually gave the green light, and Israel launched the campaign. However, just days later, a message from the White House ordered a halt to Kurdish forces' entry. An Israeli official described the abrupt stop as receiving a "Don't" three days after the operation began. Israel attributed the reversal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's opposition and pressure from U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance. Attempts by Israeli political and intelligence officials to reverse the decision failed.

Barnea proposed an alternative plan, but defense sources considered it inferior to the original. The substitute plan ultimately failed, with some officials regarding the attempt to develop it during active conflict as a mistake due to its lack of maturity and effectiveness. Earlier reports by The New York Times indicated that Israel and the U.S. had explored regime change options in Tehran, viewing Ahmadinejad as a possible new leader despite his anti-Israeli and anti-American past.

According to American sources briefed on the matter, an Israeli strike on Ahmadinejad's Tehran residence on the war's first day aimed to free him from house arrest, but he was injured and subsequently disappeared from public view. In early 2024, a senior Hungarian official contacted the rector of Budapest's Ludovika University to invite Ahmadinejad to a climate conference, which served as a cover for secret meetings between him and Israeli intelligence agents. Iranian sources noted suspicions about Ahmadinejad dating back to 2017, following his open letters to President Trump.

The operation peaked in late February during the initial days of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, when Israeli airstrikes targeted Ahmadinejad's location in Tehran, and Mossad agents extracted him to a safe house. Despite this, the mission failed. Four sources told The New York Times that Ahmadinejad expressed disappointment and distanced himself from Israel's plan. After months of absence, he appeared at the funeral of Ali Khamenei last Monday but was reportedly placed under house arrest and remains under Revolutionary Guards' supervision in Tehran.