Israel spent years cultivating former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential intelligence asset and possible leader in a post-regime Iran. As part of the effort, Israeli intelligence met with him abroad, including in Hungary, using academic events as cover for secret meetings. The plan culminated during the 2026 Israel-Iran war, when Mossad operatives extracted Ahmadinejad from Tehran following an Israeli airstrike on his compound and took him to a safe house inside Iran as part of a broader regime-change operation. The operation ultimately failed after Ahmadinejad left the safe house under unclear circumstances. According to Iranian officials, he is now under house arrest after authorities uncovered his alleged contacts with Israel. Source: NYT