Ahmadinejad’s office denies report of Mossad-backed regime change plot

The office of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected reports that Israel’s Mossad secretly cultivated him as an intelligence source and considered installing him as Iran’s leader following a regime change operation.

In a statement carried by Iran International, Ahmadinejad’s office dismissed the allegations as “Hollywood-style claims” that were “not worthy of denial.” It accused The New York Times of publishing “fake news and fabricated lies” and alleged that the newspaper was willing to publish reports in exchange for payment.

The office also denied reports that Ahmadinejad had been placed under house arrest, saying the former president remained active and was continuing his normal daily work.

Speaking to Israel's Channel 14 on Monday, former senior Mossad official and intelligence commentator Sagi Assulin criticized the publication of the reported operation, arguing that disclosing alleged operational details could jeopardize intelligence methods and sources.

"There is a system here, information that harms the security of the state is published in foreign sources, and it passes without consequences," Assulin said. "If these reports are true, publishing details like these could actually harm intelligence assets, operational capabilities, and state security."

Assulin also suggested the affair may not be over, warning that attention should be focused on those who could have an interest in harming Ahmadinejad inside Iran.

The statement followed a report by The New York Times that the Mossad had maintained secret contacts with former Iranian President Ahmadinejad for several years as part of an ultimately unsuccessful effort to prepare for the possible overthrow of Iran’s government.

According to reporting attributed to more than 30 political, diplomatic and security sources, the relationship began developing in 2022 after Israeli intelligence concluded that Ahmadinejad’s views and relationship with Iran’s ruling establishment were changing.

The reports alleged that Ahmadinejad received financial and logistical support for overseas travel and accommodation and participated in secret meetings outside Iran, including in Budapest.

Then-Mossad Director David Barnea reportedly met Ahmadinejad personally in the Hungarian capital in 2024. Israeli intelligence was later said to have informed the CIA that it had established a channel of communication with the former Iranian president.

Israeli officials allegedly viewed Ahmadinejad as a possible figurehead for a post-regime political order, despite his history of virulent anti-Israel rhetoric, Holocaust denial and support for the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program.

The alleged operation reportedly entered a decisive phase in February 2026, during the opening stages of the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

An Israeli strike was said to have hit Ahmadinejad’s residential compound in Tehran, destroying facilities used by his security detail and damaging his armored vehicle.

Mossad operatives then allegedly transported him to a safe house inside Iran. However, the reports said Ahmadinejad later became distrustful of the operation and rejected the plan to return him to power.