Inside Israel’s Secret Operation to Cultivate Ahmadinejad
- Posted on July 13, 2026
- International Relations
- By The New York Times
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
Israel's intelligence services undertook an extensive covert operation spanning several years to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a strategic intelligence asset. The initiative reached a critical juncture during the initial phases of recent regional conflict when operatives attempted to relocate him to a secure Israeli facility. However, the ambitious extraction plan ultimately collapsed due to unforeseen complications, representing a significant setback in what analysts describe as a sophisticated long-term espionage campaign targeting Iran's political establishment.
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Inside Israel’s Secret Operation to Cultivate Ahmadinejad
The yearslong effort to groom the former Iranian president as an intelligence asset culminated in a dramatic effort to take him to an Israeli safe house in the early days of the war. But the plan fell apart. continue reading...