Tolga Akbaba, Muhammed Kılıç

14 July 2026 • Updated: 14 July 2026

Tehran / Anadolu

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the validity of allegations about the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad carrying out a secret operation to return him to power.

Iranian website Bahar News reported on Tuesday that Ahmadinejad's media office issued a statement saying the allegations published by the American newspaper The New York Times aim to "mislead public opinion and wage psychological warfare against Iran."

The statement stressed that these allegations do not reflect the truth, and that The New York Times is known for "publishing false and fabricated news."

It noted that Ahmadinejad is "busy with his daily work and continues to serve the Iranian people."

The New York Times had reported on Monday that Israel, as part of a secret operation, sought to contact Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the aim of returning him to power as a new leader for Iran, but this attempt ended in failure.