On January 17, 2025, Azerbaijani media outlets, including AzTV and Minval.az, reported that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been assassinated in Tehran. According to unconfirmed reports, the incident took place on a street in the capital, where the 68-year-old politician was allegedly shot by unknown assailants. The reports, which also appeared on Israel's Channel 9, caused a wide resonance amid the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict that began on January 13. However, neither Iranian nor Israeli official sources confirmed the information, and some outlets, such as Oxu.az, later denied the rumors, classifying them as false.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president from 2005 to 2013, is known for his harsh anti-Israel rhetoric and his active promotion of Tehran's nuclear program. During his rule, Iran resumed uranium enrichment, leading to UN sanctions and strained relations with the West. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map," drawing international criticism. He has remained an influential figure since his term ended, although his attempts to re-enter politics, including running in the 2017, 2021, and 2024 elections, have been blocked by the Guardian Council, controlled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He re-registered as a candidate in the June 2024 snap elections following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash, but was disqualified.

The assassination rumors come amid a bitter conflict between Israel and Iran. According to Reuters, the Israeli Air Force has carried out more than 450 strikes on Iranian targets, including the Natanz nuclear complex and Shahed drone depots, killing 550 people. Iran responded by launching more than 1000 missiles and drones at Israel, killing 74 people, The Times of Israel reports. Tensions have increased after reports of the killing of key Iranian commanders, including Chief of Staff Ali Shadmani, and unconfirmed rumors of the destruction of the aircraft carrier Shahid Bagheri. In this context, the information about Ahmadinejad’s assassination could be part of an information war, although the lack of evidence makes one cautious in this assessment.