Iranian media, as cited by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig, report that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad participated in a Saturday meeting of the regime's Economic Council, a day after the New York Times reported he was under house arrest by the IRGC intelligence wing for alleged ties with Israel and Mossad.
On Tuesday, July 14, Iranian media outlets reported that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad participated in a Saturday meeting of the regime's Economic Council for Protecting the Regime's Interests, according to N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig. The report comes a day after the New York Times disclosed that Ahmadinejad is under house arrest by the IRGC's intelligence wing, and hours after his office denied the NYT account as a 'completely false fabrication.'
The thread began Monday, July 13, when Haaretz first reported that Mossad chief Dedi Barnea personally oversaw the recruitment operation. Later that day, the New York Times published a series of revelations: four Iranian officials confirmed the house arrest (version 2), Barnea met Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2024 (version 3), Israel covertly funded his expenses (version 4), and details of a failed rescue on February 28 (versions 5-7). The reports evolved from a single outlet to multiple sources, culminating in the NYT's detailed account citing Iranian and American officials. On Tuesday morning, Ahmadinejad's office issued a denial.
As The Zioneer reported on Monday, a separate account by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig detailed a Mossad extraction of Ahmadinejad on February 28 after an Israeli strike on his compound. The broader context includes long-standing Israeli efforts to cultivate Ahmadinejad as a post-regime asset, as reported by multiple outlets.
The Iranian media report is unverified, and its reliability remains unclear. The Saturday meeting does not necessarily disprove a later house arrest, as the NYT report may refer to detention imposed after that date. The conflicting accounts have not been independently corroborated.
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