Photo: Ex-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
By: Daniel Kanu
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly been killed in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran during coordinated U.S.-Israeli military operations, according to Iran’s state-linked news agency, ILNA.
Ahmadinejad, 69, was said to have died alongside his bodyguard when the strike hit his home in the Iranian capital late Tuesday.
Iranian authorities have yet to release detailed information about the circumstances of the attack, and there has been no immediate official confirmation from Washington or Tel Aviv regarding the specific target.
The reported strike comes amid escalating tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel, with recent weeks marked by heightened military activity and sharp exchanges of rhetoric across the region.
Ahmadinejad served as President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, a period defined by confrontational foreign policy and deepening international isolation.
When he first assumed office, he was widely regarded as the preferred candidate of Iran’s ruling Shiite clerical establishment, enjoying strong backing from hardliners and conservative lawmakers.
However, his relationship with the political establishment grew strained toward the end of his second term.
Disagreements over domestic governance and foreign policy created rifts between him and segments of the conservative camp that had initially supported him.
Central to his presidency was Iran’s controversial nuclear programme. His administration accelerated uranium enrichment activities, insisting the programme was for peaceful purposes. Western powers, led by the United States, accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, resulting in multiple rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the U.S., and the European Union.
The sanctions severely impacted Iran’s economy, contributing to inflation, currency devaluation, and widespread economic hardship.
Ahmadinejad was also known internationally for his fiery rhetoric against Israel.
He frequently criticized Israeli policies in the Middle East and questioned the legitimacy of the Israeli state, remarks that drew global condemnation and further heightened tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
Despite his populist appeal among segments of Iran’s rural and working-class population, Ahmadinejad’s political standing waned in his later years. Even within conservative circles, he became a polarizing figure, with critics accusing him of economic mismanagement and political overreach.
Following the completion of his second term in 2013, Ahmadinejad remained active in Iranian politics but was barred from running in subsequent presidential elections by the Guardian Council.
His reported death, if officially confirmed, is likely to have significant political and diplomatic repercussions across the Middle East, potentially intensifying already fraught relations between Iran and its regional adversaries.
