The New York Times reports new details on the Mossad's alleged effort to recruit former Iranian president, revealing that contacts started in 2023 and included two meetings in Budapest, one with then-Mossad chief Dedi Barnea in 2024. IRGC guards reported he slipped away for prolonged meetings.
The New York Times has published new details on the Mossad's alleged effort to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, revealing that the contacts began as early as 2023 — earlier than previously reported — and that his IRGC security guards reported he slipped away for prolonged meetings during his June 2025 trip to Budapest. The report, which cites a person close to Ahmadinejad, adds to the timeline of a cultivation operation that The Zioneer first covered earlier today.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today (Mon 13:40 Jerusalem), the NYT's initial investigation uncovered that the Mossad had held secret meetings with Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2024 and 2025, including a 2024 meeting with then-Mossad chief Dedi Barnea, and that Israel had been secretly paying his expenses for years. Subsequent reports, also published at the same time, detailed a failed rescue attempt on February 28 — the opening day of Operation Roaring Lion — when an Israeli strike hit his compound and Mossad agents extracted him to a safe house. The thread of reports, citing Iranian and American officials, confirmed that Ahmadinejad is now under house arrest by the IRGC's intelligence wing.
According to the NYT, as reported by The Zioneer, the IRGC had long suspected Ahmadinejad, particularly after his 2017 letters to then-President Trump. The Mossad reportedly exploited his desire to return to power and his frustration at being barred from running for office. The meetings were arranged during his trips to climate conferences in Budapest, facilitated by a local university. The new details also indicate that the IRGC's 'Ansar' unit observed that Ahmadinejad managed to evade his guards for meetings on at least two occasions; when confronted, he claimed he was meeting university professors.
The allegations remain unconfirmed by Iranian or Israeli official sources. According to the NYT, Ahmadinejad's current status remains under house arrest.
6 developments
- DevelopingAhmadinejad met Mossad chief under alleged Israeli plan, now under arrest — report
- DevelopingNYT: Mossad Groomed Ahmadinejad as Post-Regime Leader, Smuggled Him Out of Tehran
- StrongNYT: Israel paid former Iranian president Ahmadinejad, attempted rescue on Operation Roaring Lion opening day
- DevelopingReport: Mossad agents extracted Ahmadinejad after Israeli strike on his compound on Feb. 28
Source and signal
- Internal intake