EARLY OPERATION TRIGGERS UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS
Reports emerging from officials familiar with internal discussions claim that on the opening day of the Iran war, the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike targeting the Tehran residence of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. According to accounts cited by The New York Times, the operation allegedly aimed to remove Ahmadinejad from house arrest and place him in a position for a possible future political role if Iran’s existing leadership structure weakened significantly.
According to the officials, planners reportedly developed scenarios involving Ahmadinejad as part of broader discussions concerning potential political changes following possible shifts in Iran’s leadership. Sources also claimed that US officials had knowledge of those discussions and that Ahmadinejad had previously received briefings related to the alleged initiative.
INJURY CLAIMS AND COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
However, officials said the operation quickly encountered complications after the strike reportedly produced unintended consequences. Sources claimed Ahmadinejad sustained injuries during the attack, although he survived the incident. Reports further alleged that the strike destroyed a security position located at the entrance to his street and killed several members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel present in the area.
Meanwhile, officials claimed that the incident changed Ahmadinejad’s position regarding the reported transition effort. According to the accounts, the close encounter with the strike caused him to lose confidence in the alleged plan and suspend further communication with Israeli representatives.
In addition, reports stated that Ahmadinejad has not appeared publicly since the incident. However, officials added that his current location and medical condition remain unknown.
On the first day of the Iran War, the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike on the Tehran home of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran known for his hard-line, anti-Israel and anti-American views, which was designed to free him from house arrest and place him in a… pic.twitter.com/rGp70GFAUu
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 20, 2026
