All articles tagged with #ahmadinejad
A spokesman for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied a New York Times report that Israel orchestrated a yearslong plan to reinstall him as Iran’s leader after the war, a claim the Times tied to secret meetings and a staged climate conference, which Iran’s former president disputed on social media.
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is reportedly under house arrest by the IRGC’s intelligence arm after Iranian officials say they uncovered extensive contacts with Israel. The New York Times, cited by Iranian officials, describes a covert operation to recruit Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset and even install him as Iran’s leader, including a 2024 Budapest conference invitation used as cover for talks with Israeli intelligence, with Mossad chief David Barnea allegedly traveling to Budapest and payments made to Ahmadinejad’s spokesman Javanfekr. The reports portray Ahmadinejad as motivated by power and distrust of the regime, and suggest he hoped foreign help could propel him toward power, potentially normalizing ties with Israel via the Abraham Accords.
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is reportedly under house arrest by the IRGC after an alleged Israeli bid to reinstall him, The New York Times citing US and Iranian officials. He is said to be held after leaving a Mossad-run safe house, with earlier notes of contact with Israeli intelligence in 2023–24 as part of broader tensions over Iran’s leadership.
New York Times and Haaretz reports claim Israel tried to recruit Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a post-regime Iran, with Mossad chief David Barnea meeting him in Hungary and backing housing and travel. The effort, which allegedly intensified as Ahmadinejad distanced himself from the regime, reportedly waned after he grew disillusioned and was later placed under IRGC custody, amid internal Israeli debate over the feasibility and timing of such a plan.
A New York Times report alleges the US and Israel discussed deposing Iran's regime and possibly installing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, including an attack near his Tehran home; experts viewed the plans as improbable, but the episode highlights misjudgments about regime change. The situation unfolds as Trump weighs additional strikes to pressure Tehran while Iran resists Western demands on its nuclear program and seeks sanctions relief; Ahmadinejad’s influence has waned since 2011, though his recent pro‑Israel trip to Hungary hints at evolving views.