Israel attempted to recruit former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a new government after the Islamic regime, with Mossad agents reportedly meeting him multiple times, according to investigations by the New York Times and Haaretz. The effort began in 2022 and continued even during Israel's military campaign in Gaza against Hamas, a key Iranian ally.
Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013 and was known for his anti-Zionist rhetoric and Holocaust denial, had distanced himself from the regime in recent years. He learned English, trimmed his beard, and underwent an image makeover, according to reports.
Mossad chief's Budapest meeting
The recruitment effort intensified after Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at Ludovika University in Budapest in 2025, the same venue where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken two months earlier. David Barnea, then head of Mossad, traveled to Hungary to meet him, even skipping a security consultation with Netanyahu about the Gaza war, according to Haaretz.
After the meeting, Mossad informed the CIA about the contact. Israeli officials reportedly paid Ahmadinejad for housing and travel, with operatives meeting him several times, including in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Escape and custody
Following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Ahmadinejad was reportedly rescued by four Mossad agents and kept in a safe house in Tehran. However, he became upset with the "frantic" rescue mission and left under "mysterious circumstances," according to the New York Times, citing Iranian officials. He is now believed to be in custody of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence wing.
Ahmadinejad appeared at Khamenei's funeral last week, his first public appearance in months.
Background and motivations
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad sponsored a conference questioning the Holocaust and intensified tensions over Iran's nuclear program. After leaving office in 2013, his relationship with Khamenei deteriorated, exacerbated by being barred from running for president three times.
According to Haaretz, Ahmadinejad concluded that international sanctions over nuclear activities were a burden. Israeli internal disagreements over the mission, called Operation Puss in Boots, included National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi dismissing it as "wild fantasies" and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordering a halt three days before launch, but Netanyahu overrode them.
Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute questioned the timing of the reports, stating, "Why did the Mossad let Ahmadinejad walk out after rescuing him? Would you, if you invested so much?" He suggested the reports might be an effort to create tension inside the regime.
