A bombshell New York Times report Wednesday revealed that Israel had planned to initiate a regime change with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the helm of the new government.

Ahmadinejad had found himself increasingly at odds with the Iranian regime, which he accused of corruption, and his aides were arrested while he was placed under house arrest. Nevertheless, his past hardline rhetoric against Israel and the United States is well-documented, having vowed to “wipe Israel off the map,” supported the nuclear program, cracked down harshly on protesters, and been a long-time foe of the United States, making him a strange choice for leader.

A strike on his house in Tehran that was meant to kill the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bodyguards, who both guarded his home and enforced his house arrest, and to free Ahmadinejad from house arrest succeeded in killing the guards but also injured the former president, who became disillusioned with the plan. He has not been seen or heard from since.

While a Mossad spokesperson declined to comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded to a request for comment on the Israeli regime change plan.

“From the outset, President Trump was clear about his goals for Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles, dismantle their production facilities, sink their navy, and weaken their proxy,” she said. “The United States military met or exceeded all of its objectives, and now, our negotiators are working to make a deal that would end Iran’s nuclear capabilities for good.”