NYT: Mossad Groomed Ahmadinejad as Post-Regime Leader, Smuggled Him Out of Tehran

According to a detailed investigation by The New York Times, Israel's Mossad conducted a strategic, long-term operation to recruit and prepare Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a leadership role following a potential regime collapse. The effort reportedly involved secret financing for Ahmadinejad’s travel and residences, alongside direct high-level contact. In 2024, then-Mossad chief Dedi Barnea reportedly traveled to Budapest to meet with Ahmadinejad personally, a meeting later disclosed by the Mossad to the CIA.

The Extraction Attempt

The operation reached a critical point on February 28, 2026, the opening day of Operation Roaring Lion. Following an Israeli strike on a compound where Ahmadinejad was staying, Mossad agents reportedly extracted him in a black Peugeot and moved him to a secret safe house within Iran. However, the report indicates the former president became agitated and angry with the execution of the plan, eventually leaving the safe house under circumstances that remain unclear.

Current Status and Analysis

Iranian officials claim that the IRGC's intelligence wing eventually uncovered the extent of Ahmadinejad's contacts with Israel. He is now reportedly held under house arrest. While Ahmadinejad was once known for his hardline rhetoric and Holocaust denial, the report suggests he underwent a significant shift in recent years, softening his stance toward Israel and criticizing internal Iranian corruption. This development highlights the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration into the Iranian establishment, though the ultimate failure to secure Ahmadinejad as a viable post-regime leader underscores the immense risks of such high-stakes cultivation.