Israeli Mossad Planned to Reinstate Ahmadinejad as Iran's Leader in Covert Regime Change Plot

A New York Times investigation reveals a secret Israeli intelligence operation aimed at toppling Iran's regime from within by promoting former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a strategic asset. Despite Ahmadinejad's notorious anti-Israel stance, Mossad sought to cultivate him as a potential leader to replace the ruling clerics. The plan, unfolding since early 2024, involved covert meetings in Hungary disguised as climate conferences, financial support for Ahmadinejad's expenses, and a daring rescue operation on the first day of the 2025 conflict dubbed "Roar of the Lion."

The scheme began when Hungarian officials invited Ahmadinejad to head a climate summit in Budapest, which was actually a cover for secret meetings with Israeli agents. Mossad chief David Barnea personally traveled to Hungary in 2024 to meet Ahmadinejad, signaling the operation's high priority. Ahmadinejad, sidelined politically by Supreme Leader Khamenei and barred from running for president again, reportedly sought foreign backing to regain power. His outreach to U.S. and Saudi leaders had already raised suspicions within Iran's intelligence agencies.

In June 2025, Ahmadinejad returned to Budapest shortly before the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran. Despite close surveillance by his Revolutionary Guards security detail, he managed secret meetings with Mossad operatives. His public appearance at the conference was uncharacteristically moderate and Westernized, signaling a shift from his usual rhetoric.

On February 28, 2025, Israel launched an airstrike on the compound where Ahmadinejad was held in Tehran, facilitating a Mossad extraction team to smuggle him to a safe house. However, the operation faltered as Ahmadinejad was reportedly furious over its rushed execution, and his guards were killed in the attack. Subsequently, he disappeared from public view and is believed to be under house arrest by Iran's Revolutionary Guards intelligence. The plan to reinstall him as Iran's leader remains shelved.

The White House declined to comment, and Mossad issued no official response. This unprecedented intelligence episode highlights the complex shadow war between Israel and Iran and the lengths Israel was willing to go to destabilize Tehran from within.