Israeli television Channel 13 has revealed details of an alleged secret plan by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, which aimed to overthrow the government in Iran. According to discovered documentation, this operation was codenamed “Puss in Boots”.
Reports indicate that the plan envisioned cooperation with Kurdish factions and the involvement of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as an alternative scenario for regime change in Tehran. In the initial phases, the idea had secured the consent of the United States and aimed for Israeli forces to eliminate targets of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along the border area between Iran and Iraq, specifically in the Iranian region of Kurdistan.
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Channel 13 explains that the mission’s main objective was to open a passage for Kurdish militants, who would then penetrate deep into Iranian territory and advance toward Kurdish urban centers in the northwest of the country. Mossad analysts had concluded that a large number of young Kurds would join this movement, thus forming a force capable of marching to the capital. The final phase of the operation foresaw nationwide street demonstrations that would weaken state structures and eventually cause the regime’s collapse.
A crucial component of this strategy was the figure of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, described as a “Trojan horse” in Channel 13 reports. The idea was that he would return to the scene after political shifts and retake the country’s leadership. The American newspaper New York Times had previously written about Israel’s ongoing efforts over the years to establish ties with Ahmadinejad and to reposition him in Iranian politics. According to these sources, a meeting between him and former Mossad director David Barnea is believed to have been arranged in Hungary during 2024, on the sidelines of a scientific conference.
However, the plan never reached the implementation phase. Channel 13 asserts that information leaks to the press, pressure exerted by Turkey, and hesitations among some Kurdish armed groups resulted in Washington’s withdrawal of support for the operation. After that, Israel and the US reportedly limited themselves to striking Iranian security targets in the northwest of the country, including military installations, missile systems, and law enforcement infrastructure, but without engaging in a ground intervention.
Operation “Puss in Boots” remains one of the most sensational rumors about regime change plans in Iran, although neither the Israeli nor the American government has officially acknowledged its existence.
