Learn Farsi: می‌خواستم بمب را خنثی کنم، اما وقت نداشتم. - I was going to defuse the bomb, but I didn't have time.

While می‌خواستم literally translates to 'I wanted to,' it is the standard way to express an unfulfilled past intention in Farsi. When followed by a subjunctive verb and an explanation of why it didn't happen, it translates very naturally to the English 'I was going to [do something].'

Why is the second verb خنثی کنم in the present subjunctive if the sentence is talking about the past?

In Farsi, the main verb establishes the tense. Because می‌خواستم is already in the past tense, the dependent verb خنثی کنم takes the standard present subjunctive form to show the action that was intended. You don't need to use a past tense or past subjunctive form here.

What does the word خنثی literally mean on its own?

خنثی means 'neutral' or 'ineffective.' By combining it with کردن (to do/make), the compound verb خنثی کردن literally means 'to make neutral' or 'to neutralize,' which is the exact Farsi term used for defusing a bomb or foiling a plot.

Why isn't the continuous prefix می used on نداشتم?

The verb داشتن (to have) is a major exception to prefix rules in Farsi. Because it describes a state rather than an action, its simple past form داشتم (or the negative نداشتم) already carries a continuous, ongoing meaning. You generally do not add می to it.