The office of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of the Islamic Republic, has rejected a recent report by The New York Times regarding his house arrest and alleged links to Israel, calling it “false” and based on “Hollywood-style claims.”
On Monday, July 13, 2026, The New York Times published a report claiming that Israeli intelligence agencies had established contact with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and that, following the first wave of attacks on Tehran, he had been relocated by Israeli operatives to a “safe house.” The report further alleged that, after some time, Ahmadinejad left that location and was subsequently placed under house arrest by the Islamic Republic. It also claimed that Ahmadinejad had met with the head of Mossad in Budapest.
Reacting to the report, Ahmadinejad’s office issued a statement rejecting all the allegations, writing that The New York Times was echoing “ludicrous claims” by publishing “fake news.” The statement also alleged that the newspaper “is willing to publish articles and fake news from notorious and well-known elements in exchange for payment.”
Ahmadinejad’s office further announced that, “in light of political considerations and the sensitive conditions in the country,” he categorically denies all the allegations made in The New York Times report.
