The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the United States and Israel had planned to bring former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back to power if Iran’s Islamic Republic leadership collapsed following the outbreak of war. The report stated that early in the conflict, then-US President Donald Trump publicly hinted that new leadership could emerge from within Iran if Israeli strikes killed the country’s top leaders.

According to the report, US and Israeli officials specifically considered Ahmadinejad, once known for his hardline stance and anti-US rhetoric, as a potential post-war leader. The plan was reportedly initiated by Israel, which had also made contact with Ahmadinejad. However, after an Israeli strike hit his home in Tehran on the first day of the war, Ahmadinejad became disillusioned with the plan.

US officials cited in the report said that the broader regime-change plan in Iran quickly collapsed and became ineffective before it could be implemented.