Ahmadinejad denies report Israel sought to restore him to power

TEHRAN, Iran — Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied reports that Israel's intelligence service Mossad ran a covert operation to return him to power, dismissing the allegations as part of a psychological campaign against Iran. In a written statement from his office, Ahmadinejad rejected the claims published by the New York Times, saying they were aimed at misleading public opinion and waging psychological warfare against Iran. The statement accused the Times of publishing false and fabricated reports, without offering specifics. Ahmadinejad said he was occupied with daily affairs and continued to serve the Iranian people, according to the statement carried by Iran's Bahar News. The New York Times reported a day earlier that Israel had secretly contacted Ahmadinejad in an effort to reinstall him as Iran's leader, but that the initiative failed. No further details on Iran's response or possible diplomatic follow-up were immediately available.