Israel's Secret Effort to Install Ahmadinejad as Iran's Leader Revealed

A detailed report by The New York Times exposes a covert Israeli intelligence operation aimed at positioning former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a future leader of Iran. Despite Ahmadinejad's notorious anti-Israel rhetoric and Holocaust denial during his presidency, Israeli intelligence cultivated ties with him over several years, including secret meetings and financial support for his travel and accommodation.

In early 2024, Hungary's government requested the president of Ludovika University in Budapest to host Ahmadinejad as a keynote speaker at climate change conferences, which served as cover for clandestine meetings between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence operatives. The operation was significant enough that then-Mossad chief David Barnea personally met Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2024. Israeli efforts culminated in a daring extraction attempt in late February 2025, during the opening days of the "Harry's Roar" operation, intending to overthrow Iran's current regime and install Ahmadinejad as leader.

However, the plan failed when an Israeli airstrike targeted the compound housing Ahmadinejad on February 28, 2025. Ahmadinejad was swiftly evacuated by Mossad agents to a secret safe house within Iran but reportedly became disillusioned with the Israeli plan. Subsequently, he left the safe house under unclear circumstances and was last seen publicly at the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in early June 2025. Iranian officials now reportedly hold him under house arrest after uncovering much of his contact with Israel.

The broader Israeli strategy also involved arming and training Iranian Kurdish opposition forces based in northern Iraq to destabilize western Iran and advance toward Tehran, though this plan never materialized. Ahmadinejad's relationship with Iran's ruling establishment had been strained since his presidency ended, with restrictions on his movements and exclusion from presidential elections, fueling his desire to regain power with foreign backing.

Ahmadinejad's unusual international travels, including a 2023 trip to Guatemala and multiple visits to Hungary, were facilitated despite Iranian security attempts to block him. During his Budapest visits, he met with Israeli intelligence and spoke at public events, adopting a moderated tone focused on global issues. The Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban, maintained close ties with Israel, facilitating these interactions. Ahmadinejad's recent public appearance at Khamenei's funeral was brief and marked by heavy disguise, while other former Iranian presidents were notably absent from the ceremonies.