Trump Delays Iran Strike as Tehran Warns of Wider War

US and Israeli officials developed a plan to install former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country’s new leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reporting from The New York Times that drew on officials briefed on the effort. The scheme, described by the paper as audacious, collapsed quickly once military operations began, leaving Ahmadinejad’s location and status unknown.

Trump administration officials had initially hoped that removing Khamenei would open space for an internal figure to take control. Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013 and was known for his hardline positions on Israel and the nuclear program, had clashed with regime leaders in later years and was under surveillance by Iranian authorities. In a 2019 interview he had praised Trump’s decisiveness and called for renewed US-Iran engagement, a stance that apparently factored into the calculations even as it sat uneasily with his earlier record.

The revelation comes as the conflict, now in its 82nd day, remains suspended by a ceasefire reached on April 8. Both sides continue to trade public warnings while pursuing talks mediated by Pakistan. President Trump told lawmakers Tuesday that the United States was “an hour away” from resuming strikes before choosing instead to extend the window for diplomacy. He has given Iran two to three days to reach an agreement. Vice President JD Vance described the negotiations as making “a lot of good progress” and said the administration remains prepared to resume operations if talks stall.

Iranian officials have responded with their own threats. The Revolutionary Guards warned that renewed attacks would turn the conflict into one that extends “far beyond the region,” with strikes aimed at targets the United States cannot easily defend. Iranian army spokesmen have echoed the message, stating that any resumption of hostilities would involve “new fronts” and previously unused capabilities. At the same time, Iranian authorities released a US permanent resident who had been held in Evin Prison for a decade, a move that some observers view as a modest confidence-building step.

The economic consequences of the standoff continue to shape domestic politics in the United States. An AP-NORC poll released this week found that Republican approval of Trump’s handling of the economy has fallen to roughly 60 percent from about 80 percent in February. Rising gasoline prices linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have contributed to the shift. Two Chinese supertankers carrying roughly four million barrels of crude left the strait this week after waiting for more than two months, and oil prices have eased modestly on signs that a deal may be near. G7 finance ministers, meeting in Paris, pledged closer coordination to manage the resulting risks to global growth.

Trump’s political position inside the Republican Party remains firm. His endorsed candidate defeated Representative Thomas Massie in a primary contest on Tuesday, underscoring the president’s continued influence even as voters express frustration over household costs. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to discuss energy and weapons issues this week, a meeting that reflects how the Iran conflict is drawing in other major powers.

The combination of an unexecuted regime-change plan, an uneasy ceasefire, and rising domestic economic pressure has left the administration balancing between diplomatic momentum and the threat of renewed force. Whether the current talks can produce a durable agreement or whether the earlier planning for a new Iranian leadership will resurface remains an open question.