Mossad Reportedly Attempted to Recruit Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad for Regime Change

Israel’s Mossad attempted to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a regime-change effort in Iran, according to reports from the Nikkei and Sankei newspapers. The operation failed after Ahmadinejad reportedly became disillusioned with the plan and left a safe house where he had been moved by intelligence agents.

Mossad’s Attempt to Install Ahmadinejad as Leader

Israeli intelligence sought to leverage Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served as president of Iran from 2005 to 2013, as a vehicle for overturning the current Iranian government. According to reporting by the Sankei Shimbun, the Mossad offered financial incentives and funding to the former president as part of a strategy to install him in a leadership position that would facilitate a systemic change in Tehran.

The operation involved moving Ahmadinejad to a secure location. Reports indicate that agents transferred him to a hideout to coordinate the transition. However, the effort collapsed when Ahmadinejad grew disillusioned with the arrangement and chose to depart the facility, ending the attempt to use him as a political instrument for regime change.

Israeli Strategy for Iranian Regime Change

The recruitment attempt reflects a broader Israeli objective to destabilize the Islamic Republic. The Nikkei reported that the operation was designed with a long-term view toward regime change, targeting a high-profile figure who once held the nation’s highest executive office. By attempting to co-opt a former leader, Israel aimed to create a viable internal alternative to the current clerical leadership.

Ahmadinejad is known for his hardline anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric during his presidency. The Sankei Shimbun noted that the Mossad’s attempt to recruit a figure with such a public record of hostility suggests a calculated risk to flip a known adversary into a collaborator for the purpose of dismantling the existing state structure.

Context of Iran-Israel Intelligence Operations

This reported failure follows a history of clandestine Israeli operations within Iran.

The reports highlight that despite financial offers, the internal political risks and personal disillusionment remained significant barriers to the Mossad’s objective.