A report published Tuesday claims that Israel held negotiations with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as part of a plan to place him at the head of Iran after the regime's overthrow. Shagiv Assulin, a former Mossad senior official, warned that the publication of the report could harm state security, saying an Israeli journalist bypassed censorship to publish it.
A report published Tuesday alleges that Israel held secret negotiations with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as part of a plan to install him at the head of Iran after the regime's overthrow. The report includes a statement from Shagiv Assulin, a former Mossad senior official, who warned that the fact that an Israeli journalist bypassed censorship to publish the report could harm state security.
The story has evolved rapidly since Monday. At 13:23 Jerusalem, Channel 14 first reported that Mossad attempted to recruit Ahmadinejad. By 13:23, a former Mossad official analyzed the recruitment mechanism, and a Times of Israel report claimed Ahmadinejad met Mossad chief Dedi Barnea. The Jerusalem Post then confirmed an IRGC arrest of Ahmadinejad over alleged Mossad ties. At 13:23, four Iranian officials told the New York Times that Ahmadinejad was arrested and held under house arrest by IRGC intelligence. Ahmadinejad himself issued a dismissive public statement amid the reports. The Zioneer's intelligence and security commentator, Shagiv Assulin, warned Monday evening of a 'dangerous method of external publication' in the report on the secret Iran operation.
As The Zioneer reported on Monday, the Mossad operation involving Ahmadinejad has been described as part of a plan to overthrow the Iranian regime. The analyst's statement in this new post reiterates his earlier warning, underscoring the sensitivity of the operation.
It remains unclear whether the negotiations alleged in the new report are distinct from the previously reported recruitment attempt, and whether Ahmadinejad's reported arrest is directly linked to these specific talks.
9 developments
- DevelopingFormer Mossad official warns of 'dangerous method of external publication' in report on secret Iran operation
- DevelopingReport: Mossad agents extracted Ahmadinejad after Israeli strike on his compound on Feb. 28
- StrongNYT: Israel paid former Iranian president Ahmadinejad, attempted rescue on Operation Roaring Lion opening day
- StrongIranian media: Ahmadinejad attended regime economic council meeting on Saturday, contradicting NYT house arrest report
Source and signal
- Internal intake