Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen Tuesday attending a memorial ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, casting further uncertainty over recent reports claiming he is under house arrest following alleged contacts with Israel.

Iranian media published footage showing Ahmadinejad at the ceremony, despite reports in recent days that he had been placed under house arrest by the intelligence wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The appearance comes after *The New York Times* reported that, during the early days of the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran, Israel attempted a dramatic operation to extract Ahmadinejad from Iran after he was allegedly placed under house arrest. According to the report, the operation was ultimately unsuccessful.

The report also claimed that then-Mossad Director David Barnea personally traveled to Budapest in 2024 to meet with Ahmadinejad and later informed the CIA of the contacts. According to the report, Israel secretly financed Ahmadinejad’s travel and accommodations in recent years, and Mossad operatives met with him multiple times outside Iran, including in Budapest.

Former American officials cited by the report said Barnea’s personal involvement underscored the importance Israel placed on cultivating the relationship.

The *New York Times* further reported, citing four senior Iranian officials, that Ahmadinejad had been placed under house arrest after Iranian authorities uncovered many of his alleged contacts with Israel.

However, Ahmadinejad’s public appearance at Tuesday’s ceremony has raised new questions about those claims. It remains unclear whether he was ever under house arrest, whether the reported restrictions have been lifted, whether the appearance was orchestrated by the Iranian regime, or whether other explanations account for the conflicting reports.

Neither Iranian authorities nor Ahmadinejad have publicly addressed the latest reports.

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