Israel's Covert Plan to Cultivate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Former Iranian President, Revealed
A years-long effort to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset culminated in a failed attempt to transport him to an Israeli safe house during the early days of the war. Ahmadinejad, known for accelerating Iran's nuclear program and holding anti-Israel views, was a key target in a regime change plan.
According to American and Iranian officials, Israel had been working to groom Ahmadinejad as a potential leader who could be installed in power. This effort involved secret discussions between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence operatives in Budapest. In 2024, a Hungarian government official requested that a university in Budapest host a climate change conference, with Ahmadinejad as a guest, as a front for these secret talks.
The university's rector, Professor Gergely Deli, was aware of the potential risks to his reputation and the university's, but he believed that facilitating the discussions could help save lives. "If two enemies want to talk, it's best to make them talk," he said in an interview. Ahmadinejad's visits to the university in 2024 and the following year were part of this broader effort to establish him as an intelligence asset.
According to American and Iranian officials, Israel had been working to groom Ahmadinejad as a potential leader who could be installed in power. This effort involved secret discussions between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence operatives in Budapest. In 2024, a Hungarian government official requested that a university in Budapest host a climate change conference, with Ahmadinejad as a guest, as a front for these secret talks.
The university's rector, Professor Gergely Deli, was aware of the potential risks to his reputation and the university's, but he believed that facilitating the discussions could help save lives. "If two enemies want to talk, it's best to make them talk," he said in an interview. Ahmadinejad's visits to the university in 2024 and the following year were part of this broader effort to establish him as an intelligence asset.
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