Ex-Iran President Ahmadinejad Under House Arrest Over Israel Ties, Secret Budapest Meeting With Mossad Chief Revealed

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been placed under house arrest by the intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after Iranian authorities uncovered secret contacts between him and Israel. The incident was reported by a global media publication on Monday (July 13th, 2026).

Citing four senior Iranian officials, The report cited four senior Iranian officials and revealed a multi-year, covert Israeli operation aimed at recruiting Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset. According to the investigation, Israel ultimately planned to restore the former president as Iran's leader following a potential overthrow of the current regime.

The Budapest Connection

The main phase of the operation reportedly took place in early 2024 in Hungary. A senior Hungarian government official asked Gergely Deli, the rector of Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest, to invite Ahmadinejad to a climate change conference.

Deli later confirmed he was informed that the conference was a cover for secret meetings between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence. Deli agreed to the arrangement, stating he believed that if two bitter enemies wanted to talk, it was best to facilitate the dialogue. Former American officials told the media that David Barnea, the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, personally traveled to Budapest to meet with Ahmadinejad during the event.

Airstrike, Escape, and Capture

The timeline of Ahmadinejad’s rift from the Iranian regime escalated sharply earlier this year. In February, an Israeli airstrike targeted Ahmadinejad's home compound, hitting his bodyguards and his armored car. Following the strike, Mossad operatives reportedly extracted Ahmadinejad and took him to a secret safe house.

He eventually left the safe house under unclear circumstances and went unseen for months, only reappearing publicly at the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Shortly after, the IRGC intelligence arm took him into custody.

Money, Not Power Motivated the Former President

Associates of the former president state that his cooperation with foreign intelligence was driven entirely by political ambition rather than financial gain.

Another associate revealed that Ahmadinejad had grown deeply distrustful of the Iranian political establishment after being disqualified three times from running in Iran's presidential elections. He harbored intense resentment toward the regime's leadership and reportedly told confidants that, if he were restored to power with foreign backing, he intended to normalize Iran's relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

Both Mossad officials and Ahmadinejad's spokesperson, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, have not yet confirmed or denied the reports.

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