The New York Times has reported that Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allegedly met with David Barnea, the former head of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, in Budapest in 2024. According to the report, the meeting was held under the cover of an academic conference on climate change at Ludovika University. The newspaper claims that a senior Hungarian government official helped arrange an invitation for Ahmadinejad to attend the event. The report also says that Mossad informed the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about its alleged contacts with Ahmadinejad, who had taken a strongly anti-Israel stance during his presidency and supported Iran’s nuclear programme. Meanwhile, other media outlets, including Haaretz and The Atlantic, have published reports about alleged Israeli efforts to establish contact with Ahmadinejad and his possible role in Iran’s political developments.
