"Puss in Boots": Details Emerge of Secret Israeli Plan to Topple Iranian Regime
New details have emerged regarding a secret, unsuccessful Israeli intelligence plan, codenamed "Puss in Boots," aimed at overthrowing the Iranian regime. The Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad) reportedly devised this plan earlier this year. According to Israeli media, the plan involved Israel carrying out military strikes targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites along the Iranian-Iraqi border, specifically in Iranian Kurdistan. The objective was to open pathways for Kurdish fighters to cross into Iranian territory, advancing towards Kurdish cities in the country's northwest. The Mossad anticipated thousands of young Kurds would join these fighters, potentially transforming the movement into a widespread popular uprising extending to Tehran. Should this reach the capital, it was believed it would ignite massive public protests involving millions, ultimately leading to the collapse and overthrow of the ruling Iranian regime. In the operation's initial phases, Israel and the United States conducted intensive strikes targeting Iranian security forces, including regime officials, military bases, missile systems, police centers, and Basij force sites in northwestern Iran. This sought to facilitate the planned advance of Kurdish fighters. However, the plan was not fully executed due to several factors, most notably the leakage of its details to the media, in addition to significant pressure from Turkey. The reluctance of the Kurds themselves to proceed also contributed to the United States ultimately abandoning its implementation. Reports indicated the Kurdish attack was a core component of the plan, which also included the return of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. In a related context, previous press reports revealed Israel had worked for years to "recruit" Ahmadinejad and bring him back into the political scene. The Israeli plan included a meeting between him and then-Mossad chief David Barnea on the sidelines of an academic conference in Hungary. Reports also noted Israel provided secret payments to Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's spokesman, with Israeli agents meeting him multiple times before launching an intelligence operation dubbed "Roaring Lion." Furthermore, reports added that Ahmadinejad's residential complex was subjected to an Israeli airstrike last February, targeting his guards and armored vehicle, before Mossad agents transported him to a secret hideout. Ahmadinejad remained out of sight until he later appeared at the funeral of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei days ago. Subsequently, reports, citing Iranian officials, stated the intelligence wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps detained the former president and placed him under house arrest.
