The French newspaper Le Figaro reported last night that just before the peak of protests in Iran last month, an attempt was made to effectively oust Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and prevent him from managing the crisis. According to the report, the initiative took shape on the night between January 7 and 8, a day before the peak of the protests in which thousands were executed. Sources told Le Figaro that former President Hassan Rouhani led the plan. The French newspaper wrote that the move ultimately failed due to lack of support from Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. It was also noted that President Masoud Pezeshkian was kept out of the discussions to prevent exposure of the move.