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Israel dedicated years to quietly developing former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a prospective intelligence asset and possible future leader of Iran in the event of a regime change, according to a report by The New York Times, which cited American, Israeli and Iranian officials with knowledge of the covert effort.
The reported operation marks a remarkable reversal given Ahmadinejad's record during his presidency from 2005 to 2013, when he accelerated Iran's nuclear programme, repeatedly called for Israel's destruction and publicly denied the Holocaust. Israeli intelligence operatives nonetheless began to see the former hardliner as a potential instrument for regime change after he fell out of favour with Iran's ruling establishment, the report said.
According to former American officials quoted by The New York Times, then Mossad chief David Barnea travelled to Budapest for a face-to-face meeting with Ahmadinejad. Shortly afterwards, the Mossad informed the CIA that contact with the former Iranian president had been successfully established.
A changed man with political ambitions
Israeli interest in Ahmadinejad deepened following what the report described as a striking political transformation after he left office. He began openly criticising Iran's domestic security apparatus and highlighting corruption within the system, swapped his trademark khaki clothing for tailored suits, reportedly underwent cosmetic treatments, learned English and cultivated a markedly more moderate public image. He also travelled widely within Iran to maintain a base of supporters while harbouring hopes of returning to power.
A close associate cited by the newspaper said Ahmadinejad had concluded that reclaiming the presidency under the existing political framework was impossible, and had come to believe he could reposition himself as a reformer if the ruling structure fractured. Israeli intelligence monitored his deepening estrangement from the establishment closely, viewing his resentment towards Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures as a strategic opening.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, meanwhile, grew increasingly wary of his foreign contacts, particularly after he wrote publicly to Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ahmadinejad attempted to run in the 2017, 2021 and 2024 presidential elections but was disqualified by Iran's Guardian Council on each occasion. The report said Israel's plans around him came to a head during the early phase of the US-Israeli military conflict with Iran in late February.
