The New York Times published allegations of a secret US-Israeli plan to install former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's leader following the recent war, triggering controversy and divergent reactions within Iran. The claims have not been independently verified, and officials from the US, Israel, and Iran have offered no public comment, though a former Mossad official dismissed the report as false. Iranian analysts are split: some view it as psychological warfare designed to deepen internal divisions, while critics of Ahmadinejad cite it as validation of long-held concerns that his policies benefited foreign powers.