Iranian Exile Reveals Network Ready to Act Against Regime

Jaber Rajabi claims he has infiltrated the Iranian government and is prepared to eliminate key leaders to facilitate regime change.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Last month, an Iranian exile named Jaber Rajabi reached out to make a case for something between bombing Iran to oblivion and waiting for the regime to collapse. Rajabi, a former regime loyalist who spent years working with militias in Iraq, now claims to have a network of regime enemies embedded within the Iranian government. He says this network is ready to eliminate 10 key leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba, in order to facilitate a transition to a more liberal, democratic system.

Why it matters

Rajabi's plan, if true, could provide an alternative to the two main options currently being debated - military action or waiting for the regime's collapse. However, his claims about the capabilities of his network are difficult to verify, and relying on infiltrators to carry out assassinations carries significant risks. The potential for chaos and civil war if the regime falls without a clear successor is also a major concern.

The details

Rajabi claims his network has categorized everyone currently on the regime payroll into three groups - those who can be trusted to work with a new regime, those who need to be retired, and those who need to be eliminated. He says the network has already identified the 10 key leaders who need to be killed, as well as 2,700 others who can be sidelined with early retirement offers. Rajabi believes this targeted approach can facilitate a transition to a more liberal, democratic system without the chaos that could result from a full-scale collapse of the regime.

  • Rajabi reached out to the author last month to make his case.
  • Rajabi and the author met in person in Dubai earlier this month to further discuss the plan.

The players

Jaber Rajabi

An Iranian exile who was formerly a loyal servant of the Islamic Republic, working with militias in Iraq that were trying to kill Americans. He is now a vocal regime opponent and claims to have a network of regime enemies embedded within the Iranian government.

Ali Khamenei

The Supreme Leader of Iran, whom Rajabi says must be eliminated along with about 9 other key leaders in order to facilitate regime change.

Mojtaba Khamenei

The son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whom Rajabi describes as a brilliant but dangerous zealot who is more extreme and uncompromising than his father and a uniquely dangerous potential successor.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The former Iranian president whom Rajabi was a foreign policy advisor to, and whom Rajabi still views as the one figure with enough domestic support to lead Iran.

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei

Ahmadinejad's former vice president, who Rajabi says is a central figure in anti-regime networks.

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What they’re saying

“If the United States does not kill the ones who need to be killed, we will do it ourselves.”

— Jaber Rajabi (The Atlantic)

“Mojtaba is more dangerous than 50 nuclear bombs. He is willing to kill 13,000 Iranians. Why would he hesitate to kill 100,000 people in Tel Aviv?”

— Jaber Rajabi (The Atlantic)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Rajabi's plan, if true, could provide an alternative to military action or waiting for the regime's collapse, but the risks of relying on infiltrators to carry out assassinations are significant. The potential for chaos and civil war if the regime falls without a clear successor is also a major concern.