“Hollywood-style”: Ahmadinejad rejects report alleging he was recruited by Mossad

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office has denied a New York Times investigation claiming that ‘Israel's’ Mossad intelligence agency spent years cultivating him as a potential intelligence asset and future leader of Iran replacing the current leadership. .

The report details a yearslong covert operation that allegedly included secret meetings and culminated in a dramatic Mossad effort to extract him during the early days of the US-‘Israel’ conflict with Iran.

Read more: Report claims Mossad chief met Iran’s Ahmadinejad to install him as ruler

In a statement released on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad's office described the NYT claims as “completely false” and accused the newspaper of publishing fabricated reports.

“We categorically reject all the completely false allegations promoted by The New York Times,” the statement said. It further labeled the article’s assertions as “Hollywood-style claims” that “did not merit a denial.”

The office specifically rejected allegations that Ahmadinejad had been recruited by Mossad and was now under house arrest by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence wing.

“The allegation [of house arrest] was fabricated to support what it described as the newspaper's ‘absurd’ claims,” according to the statement. It emphasized that Ahmadinejad “remained active and was continuing his normal daily work.”

The NYT article, citing American, ‘Israeli’, and Iranian officials speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that Mossad efforts began years earlier, including invitations to events in Budapest as covers for meetings.

One such meeting reportedly involved Mossad chief David Barnea. The plan reportedly aimed to position Ahmadinejad, known for his past anti-‘Israel’ rhetoric, as a potential leader if the current Iranian government collapsed.

According to the report, an ‘Israeli’ strike on Ahmadinejad’s home in Tehran early in the war was intended to free him from prior restrictions, but the operation faltered.

He was allegedly briefly sheltered by Mossad agents before the plan unraveled. Iranian officials told the NYT he was subsequently placed under house arrest after contacts were uncovered.

Ahmadinejad’s office pushed back strongly, accusing the NYT of being “known for publishing fake news and fabricating lies” and even suggesting the paper was open to publishing such reports “in exchange for payment.”

Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013, has in recent years clashed with elements of the Iranian establishment, criticizing corruption and facing scrutiny over his loyalties.