The office of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has strongly denied a New York Times report alleging that Israel's Mossad recruited him in a failed regime change plot. The report claimed Mossad Director David Barnea met Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2024 and later placed him in a safe house after a February 2026 airstrike. Ahmadinejad's office dismissed the allegations as "Hollywood-style claims" and denied reports of his house arrest, while former Mossad official Sagi Assulin warned the leaks jeopardize state security.
Ahmadinejad denies Mossad recruitment
- ▪The office of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied allegations that Israel's Mossad sought to recruit him as an intelligence asset
- ▪Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office described the Mossad recruitment allegations as Hollywood-style claims and psychological warfare designed to mislead public opinion
New York Times allegations
- ▪The New York Times reported that Israel orchestrated a yearslong plan to install Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's new leader following a regime change operation
- ▪The New York Times cited American and Iranian officials stating that Israel's secret relationship with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began developing in 2022
Budapest safe house claims
- ▪The New York Times reported that Israeli operatives transported Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a safe house inside Iran after an airstrike hit his compound on February 28, 2026
- ▪The New York Times reported that then-Mossad Director David Barnea personally met Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2024
House arrest denial
- ▪Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office stated that the former president remains active and is continuing his normal daily work
- ▪Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office denied reports that the former president was placed under house arrest in the custody of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Public funeral appearance
- ▪Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in July 2026
- ▪The funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's first public appearance since the war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States
Israeli intelligence leak concerns
- ▪Sagi Assulin stated that publishing details of the alleged operation could harm intelligence assets, operational capabilities, and Israeli state security
- ▪Former senior Mossad official Sagi Assulin criticized the publication of the reported operation, warning that disclosing operational details could jeopardize intelligence methods and sources
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