Ahmadinejad Denies New York Times Claim Israel Groomed Him as Asset in Yearslong Plot
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14
Ahmadinejad Denies New York Times Claim Israel Groomed Him as Asset in Yearslong Plot
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14
Summary
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s office on Tuesday rejected a New York Times investigation that said Israel ran a secret operation to cultivate the former Iranian president as a future leader after the Iran war.
The statement called the account “Hollywood-style claims” and “psychological warfare,” and also denied the report’s assertion—citing four senior Iranian officials—that Ahmadinejad was under IRGC intelligence house arrest.
The Times said the alleged plan used a climate conference in Hungary as cover for meetings with Israeli operatives and ended with a rescue attempt after Ahmadinejad’s home was hit in an airstrike.
Ahmadinejad’s direct role in issuing the denial was unclear: the statement was signed by his office, referred to him in the third person and was published by a news outlet close to him.