The New York Times reports that an Israeli strike hit the home compound of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on February 28, the opening day of Operation Roaring Lion. Immediately after, Mossad agents extracted him in a black Peugeot to a safe house, but he left agitated, according to the report. Iranian sources say he is now under house arrest by IRGC intelligence.
The New York Times has added new details to its reporting on the failed attempt by Mossad to extract former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the outset of Operation Roaring Lion. According to the Times, an Israeli strike hit the compound of Ahmadinejad's home on February 28, the opening day of the campaign. Immediately afterward, Mossad agents in a black Peugeot extracted him to a safe house. However, Ahmadinejad left the location agitated, according to the report.
As The Zioneer reported at 13:47, the Times had already revealed that the extraction operation failed and that Ahmadinejad is now under house arrest by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence wing. The new report adds the detail of the strike on his home and the method of extraction. The Times also cited four Iranian officials who confirmed the house arrest, as previously reported in The Zioneer's background coverage.
The operation, code-named 'Roaring Lion' by the IDF and 'Epic Fury' by the US, was a major joint campaign launched in late February 2026 against the Iranian regime. The attempt to recruit Ahmadinejad as a post-regime leader was a key component of the campaign's political track, according to earlier reports. The full extent of the plan and its failure remain under scrutiny.
4 developments
- ConfirmedNew details on Mossad's Ahmadinejad operation: failed rescue, extraction, house arrest
- DevelopingReport: Mossad agents extracted Ahmadinejad after Israeli strike on his compound on Feb. 28
- DevelopingNYT: Mossad contacts with Ahmadinejad began in 2023, included Budapest meetings with then-chief Barnea
- DevelopingFormer Iranian President Ahmadinejad arrested by IRGC on suspicion of Mossad ties
Source and signal
- Internal intake