Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday rejected a report by The New York Times alleging that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had sought to recruit him and that he is under house arrest, describing the claims as "completely false."
In a statement, Ahmadinejad's office accused the newspaper of publishing fabricated reports to mislead public opinion and fuel internal divisions in Iran.
The office also denied that Ahmadinejad is under house arrest, saying the allegation was fabricated to support what it described as the newspaper's "absurd" claims.
"We categorically reject all the completely false allegations promoted by The New York Times," the statement said.
The New York Times reported Monday that Mossad had attempted in recent years to persuade Ahmadinejad to cooperate with Israel and viewed him as a potential candidate to lead Iran. The report also claimed that the former president is under house arrest.
