New Documents Reveal Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad Met with Jeffrey Epstein in New York
NEW YORK — Newly released documents from the Department of Justice have shed light on an unexpected encounter between former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The revelation, contained within a tranche of over three million pages of files made public on Friday, January 30, 2026, indicates that the two men held a meeting in New York City during Ahmadinejad’s tenure as president.
The documents, which include flight logs, calendar entries, and internal correspondence, suggest the meeting took place during one of Ahmadinejad’s controversial visits to the United Nations General Assembly. Ahmadinejad, who served as President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, frequently traveled to Manhattan in September to address the UN body. These visits were often marked by heavy security, widespread protests, and diplomatic tension between Washington and Tehran.
According to the files, the meeting occurred at a private residence in Manhattan. While the specific agenda of the discussion remains unclear from the initial review of the documents, the entry lists Ahmadinejad alongside other high-profile international figures who interacted with Epstein. The logs do not indicate the duration of the meeting or whether other Iranian officials were present at the time.
The disclosure has prompted immediate reaction from geopolitical analysts and intelligence experts, many of whom are surprised by the intersection of the hardline Islamist leader and the disgraced American financier. “This is a significant anomaly in the established narrative of Ahmadinejad’s diplomatic engagements,” noted Dr. Elena Corves, a senior fellow at the Institute for Global Security. “While Epstein was known for cultivating relationships with powerful figures across the political spectrum, a direct audience with a sitting Iranian president — particularly one as ideologically rigid as Ahmadinejad — raises serious questions about the scope of Epstein’s network.”
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad was known for his fiery rhetoric against the West and Israel, as well as his denial of the Holocaust. His trips to New York were typically tightly choreographed, with his movements restricted to a radius surrounding the United Nations headquarters and his hotel. The inclusion of a meeting with Epstein, a figure deeply embedded in Western high society and finance, suggests a layer of back-channel networking that was previously unknown to the public.
The Department of Justice released the files following a Congressional mandate passed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the publication of all remaining documents related to the Epstein case. The release has already generated headlines regarding other political and business leaders, but the Ahmadinejad connection stands out due to the geopolitical hostilities between the United States and Iran during that period.
As of Monday, representatives for the former Iranian president have not issued a comment regarding the documents. The Department of Justice has stated that it will continue to review and release any remaining records in compliance with federal law, potentially offering further context to this unusual diplomatic footnote.
* ynetnews.com
