Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday rejected a report by The New York Times alleging that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had sought to recruit him and that he is under house arrest, describing the claims as “completely false.”
In a statement, Ahmadinejad’s office accused the newspaper of publishing fabricated reports to mislead public opinion and fuel internal divisions in Iran.
The office also denied that Ahmadinejad is under house arrest, saying the allegation was fabricated to support what it described as the newspaper’s “absurd” claims.
“We categorically reject all the completely false allegations promoted by The New York Times,” the statement said.
The New York Times reported Monday that Mossad had attempted in recent years to persuade Ahmadinejad to cooperate with Israel and viewed him as a potential candidate to lead Iran.
The report alleged that the plan was part of a broader Israeli effort to bring about regime change in Iran following its initial strikes targeting senior Iranian leaders.
“In recent years, according to American officials, Israel secretly paid Ahmadinejad for housing and travel, and Israeli operatives met him abroad on several occasions, including during visits to Budapest,” it said.
