Ahmadinejad under IRGC arrest after Mossad contacts exposed, NYT reports

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under house arrest in the custody of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence wing after Iran learned of his alleged contacts with the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, according to a report by The New York Times published Sunday.nytimes

The revelation caps months of uncertainty about the whereabouts and fate of the former hardline leader, who had already been under a form of regime-imposed confinement before the U.S.-Iran conflict erupted earlier this year.

A Covert Recruitment Operation

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel had for years conducted a covert operation aimed at recruiting Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset, and at a later stage planned to install him as Iran's leader in the event of regime collapse. The Times of Israel, citing the New York Times investigation, reported that Ahmadinejad met with the Mossad chief as part of the Israeli plan. Haaretz said its own investigation would reveal how Mossad agents "brought former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on board".timesofisrael+4

The operation was connected to the broader U.S.-Israeli strategy, first reported by The New York Times in May, which envisioned reinstating Ahmadinejad as a post-war Iranian leader following strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. That plan, U.S. officials told the Times at the time, "swiftly spiraled out of control".aljazeera+1

From House Arrest to Missile Strike to Arrest Again

Ahmadinejad had been under movement restrictions imposed by Iranian security forces since at least mid-2024. When U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Tehran in early 2026, a missile struck near his residence, killing his IRGC bodyguards — who had served the dual role of guarding and confining him. He reportedly survived with light injuries and briefly escaped regime control.jpost+3

His whereabouts remained unknown for months, with associates claiming he was alive but untraceable by the regime. The IRGC has now apparently recaptured him and placed him under arrest following the exposure of his alleged Israeli links.apa+2

Broader Context

The disclosure comes amid an escalating U.S.-Iran military confrontation, with American strikes on Iranian targets continuing this week and Iran firing ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Kuwait. The i24 News outlet described the Mossad effort as a "failed regime change plot", while the revelation raises questions about the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration into Iran's political establishment — something Ahmadinejad himself publicly alleged in a 2024 CNN interview.jpost+2