Ahmadinejad's office denies the existence of an Israeli plan to return him to power in Iran

The denial, published on a social network linked to the former president, came one day after the American newspaper The New York Times and the Israeli Haaretz revealed details of the operation, attributed to American, Israeli and Iranian authorities interviewed on condition of anonymity.

According to the New York Times report, the plan included organizing a conference on climate change in Hungary, used as a cover to allow secret meetings between Ahmadinejad and Israeli intelligence agents.

The operation would have culminated right at the beginning of the war between Iran and Israel, with a dramatic attempt to rescue the former president after his residence was hit by an air strike - an episode after which, according to the newspaper, Ahmadinejad became disillusioned with the plan and left the hideout in which he was being held.

The statement from Ahmadinejad's office said the report made "Hollywood-style allegations" designed to undermine his popularity. The statement also stated that the text seeks to "explore political sensitivities arising from military threats", which would be a form of "psychological warfare" against the population.

The degree of Ahmadinejad's own personal involvement in drafting the statement could not be confirmed, as it was signed by his office and, in some passages, refers to him in the third person. The text was published by a press organization close to the former president.

The New York Times cited four high-ranking Iranian officials as saying that Ahmadinejad was under house arrest in the custody of the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence wing, although his current status remains uncertain. The note published in his name denies that he is under house arrest.

In response to the denials, newspaper spokeswoman Nicole Taylor said Ahmadinejad's office made "blatantly false accusations" in an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

She stated that the report was the result of the continuous work of a team of experienced reporters - the same ones, she highlights, who revealed, in a publication in May, that Ahmadinejad had been chosen by the US and Israel to take power in Iran as part of a regime change plan.

Also this Tuesday, following publications by the New York Times and Haaretz, Iranian state television showed images of Ahmadinejad at the funeral of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who died during the war. In the images, he raises his hand in apparent greeting to someone outside the image, smiles and nods his head.

Israeli officials have not commented publicly on the plan published by newspapers on Monday, and a spokesman for Ahmadinejad had declined to comment before the reports were published.

Ahmadinejad ruled Iran from 2005 to 2013 and became known internationally for speeches hostile to Israel, including threats to erase the country from the map. In recent years, however, he began to publicly criticize Iranian regime leaders for corruption and reduced the tone of his anti-Israeli rhetoric.

According to the New York Times, on February 28 - at the beginning of the war - an air strike hit the complex where he lived, targeting his security guards' accommodation and his armored car. Soon after, a black vehicle arrived at the scene and hurriedly removed the former president.

Already in a hiding place, he would have shown dissatisfaction with the conduct of the operation - it is not clear when or how he left that location later. The NYT report also points out that, following the attack, Iran's intelligence services began investigating the former president's links with Israel.

United States reestablishes blockade on Iranian ports

Measure was reinstated after Iran launched missiles and drones against neighboring countries and ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation increases the risk of new clashes and puts pressure on ceasefire negotiations