Israel reportedly eyed former Iranian president Ahmadinejad to lead post-regime Iran
According to the reports, the effort, codenamed "Operation Puss in Boots", began around 2022 as Ahmadinejad increasingly distanced himself from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the country's leadership
Reports published by the New York Times and Haaretz have alleged that Israel's Mossad conducted a years-long operation aimed at recruiting former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a post-regime government in Tehran.
According to the reports, the effort, codenamed "Operation Puss in Boots", began around 2022 as Ahmadinejad increasingly distanced himself from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the country's leadership.
The reports said Ahmadinejad underwent a public image overhaul, including trimming his beard, receiving Botox treatments and learning English to deliver speeches abroad as part of the alleged effort.
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The reports further alleged that then-Mossad director David Barnea met Ahmadinejad in Budapest in 2025. Barnea was said to have prioritised the meeting over a security consultation related to the war with Hamas. Israel also reportedly provided financial support for Ahmadinejad's housing and travel during visits to Hungary and Guatemala, according to the reports.
The alleged operation reportedly encountered opposition within Israel's security establishment. Former national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi reportedly dismissed the plan as "wild fantasies", while Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir allegedly sought to halt the mission three days before its planned launch. The reports said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nevertheless ordered the operation to proceed.
According to the reports, the plan culminated after US and Israeli military strikes in February 2026 that killed Khamenei. Mossad agents allegedly moved Ahmadinejad to a safe house in Tehran in preparation for installing him in a new government.
However, the reports said Ahmadinejad became disillusioned with what they described as the "frantic" nature of the mission and plans for him to assume power. He subsequently left the safe house under "mysterious circumstances" and is now believed to be in the custody of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the reports.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
Some analysts have questioned the credibility of the reports, suggesting they could form part of an intelligence effort to fuel internal divisions and uncertainty within Iran's ruling establishment.
