Ex-Iran President under house arrest over Israel plot to install him as leader: NYT

The New York Times has reported that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held secret contacts with Israeli intelligence during an alleged regime-change effort. The claims, centred on meetings in Hungary and a failed extraction plan, remain unverified and officially unanswered.

In Short

• A Hungarian climate event allegedly masked covert contact with Israeli operatives
• Budapest rector said he accepted the invitation hoping dialogue might ease tensions
• An airstrike reportedly struck his compound before agents moved him elsewhere

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who spent years condemning Israel during his time in office, allegedly became part of a secret Israeli plan to change the regime, according to a bombshell report by The New York Times. He was a potential figure who could be installed as Iran's leader once the country's current government collapsed.

Ahmadinejad is reportedly under house arrest after Iranian authorities allegedly uncovered his contacts with Israeli intelligence as part of a regime-change plan.

This is an extraordinary and audacious claim.

Reports note his fallout with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dissatisfaction with Iran's direction may have made him open to such overtures, at least from Israel's perspective. The story relies on anonymous US, Israeli, and Iranian sources.

Israel's alleged efforts included secret meetings with Ahmadinejad outside Iran, covering some of his travel and accommodation costs, and direct discussions with senior Israeli intelligence officials.

Neither Israel nor Iran has commented on the fresh allegations.

SECRET MEETINGS ALLEGEDLY HELD IN HUNGARY

According to The NYT, one of the most unusual chapters of the alleged operation unfolded in Hungary.

Gergely Deli, rector of Budapest's Ludovika University of Public Service, was approached by a senior Hungarian government official in early 2024 and asked to invite Ahmadinejad to speak at a climate change conference.

Deli told the newspaper he was informed that the conference would serve as a cover for secret talks between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence operatives.

The academic admitted he had concerns about the invitation but believed the meeting could help reduce tensions.

"You have two enemies, and if these enemies want to talk with each other, then it's best to do what you can to make them talk," he said, as quoted by NYT.

Ahmadinejad attended the university in 2024 and returned the following year. His twin visits formed part of Israel's long-term effort to establish contact with the former Iranian President.

The report also claimed that David Barnea, who headed Israel's Mossad intelligence agency at the time, travelled to Budapest to personally meet Ahmadinejad. Former American officials cited by the newspaper reportedly said Mossad later informed the CIA that contact had been established.

ISRAELI PLAN TO RETURN HIM TO POWER

Israel's alleged strategy reached its peak in late February during the opening days of the recent US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

According to officials, an Israeli airstrike hit Ahmadinejad's compound, damaging facilities used by his security detail and targeting his armoured vehicle.

A black Peugeot soon arrived at the scene, picked up Ahmadinejad, and drove him to a secret safe house inside Iran. American and Iranian officials say the vehicle was operated by Mossad agents.

However, the operation did not go as planned.

WHEN THE PLAN FELL APART

People familiar with the matter told The NYT that Ahmadinejad became frustrated with the rescue effort and increasingly sceptical about Israel's proposal to help return him to power. He later left the safe house under unclear circumstances.

Ahmadinejad disappeared from public view after February. He briefly reappeared during the funeral procession of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week.

The NYT report claims he is now in the custody of the intelligence branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and is effectively under house arrest after authorities uncovered details of his interactions with Israel.

Iranian authorities have not confirmed those claims.

FROM HARD-LINER TO REFORMER

Ahmadinejad served as Iran's President from 2005 to 2013 and was known for his hard-line rhetoric against Israel and the West. During his time in office, Iran accelerated its uranium enrichment programme, triggering international sanctions.

After leaving power, his image shifted. He softened some of his rhetoric, criticised corruption inside Iran's ruling establishment, and positioned himself as an outsider challenging the political elite.

Ahmadinejad privately told close associates that he hoped to return to power and believed he could lead Iran through a political transition if the current system collapsed. One associate said he envisioned normalising relations with Israel as part of a deal linked to President Donald Trump's Abraham Accords -- though there is no public evidence such a plan was ever formally pursued.

The alleged operation involving Ahmadinejad was part of an Israeli strategy to destabilise Iran's leadership.

Another element reportedly involved training and arming Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, with the aim of advancing into western Iran if conditions allowed. That plan never materialised.

These allegations have not been independently verified, and neither Iranian nor Israeli officials have publicly confirmed the claims about Ahmadinejad's alleged role.

- Ends