Shortly after Israel detonated thousands of pagers used by members of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in a deadly operation in September 2024, the Orban government offered its assistance to Iran, according to a report published on April 8 by the Washington Post.

The US newspaper cited a transcript of a phone call between Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbász Aragcsi on September 30, 2024. During the conversation, Szijjarto reportedly assured his Iranian counterpart that Hungarian intelligence would share all relevant information and documents collected during its investigation.

Hungary’s involvement in the matter arose after a Taiwanese company, whose brand appeared on the devices used in the Israeli raid, claimed the equipment had been manufactured under license in Hungary, a claim the small, Budapest-based company named in the story denied.

BAC Consulting was reportedly involved in the commercial side of the transaction related to the pagers and functioned as a middleman rather than producing or physically handling the devices.

International media have largely attributed the operation to Israeli intelligence, with Hungarian analysts also noting that the attack bore the hallmarks of Mossad, as reported by bne IntelliNews earlier.

The New York Times reported on  September 9, 2024,  that BAC Consulting was a front company established by Mossad as part of a wider network of shell companies. The Hungarian entity effectively served as a cover layer, used for deception. The pagers were procured through the front company network, which also included a Bulgarian firm.  According to Bulgarian authorities, about €1.6mn was transferred to Hungary in connection with the deal.

In a brief video statement on Facebook, Szijjarto confirmed the authenticity of the transcript, stressing that he wanted to clarify with Iran that Hungary had no role in the operations, which left 12 people dead and 2,800 injured, and that the devices were not actually produced in the country.

In his post, Szijjarto explained that he had contacted the Iranians to quickly clarify the situation and mitigate potential security risks.

Hungary was "very close to becoming a target of terrorist attacks" after the fake news appeared that the devices were manufactured in the country, he argued.

"We managed to clarify the situation with the Iranian services, so Hungary did not become a hub for terrorist organisations and attacks,” he said, adding that if they had not acted, "only God knows what kind of terrorist attacks could have happened."

Hungary’s chief diplomat also noted that the recent release of his phone calls shows that foreign intelligence services are aiming to influence the elections.

The apparent willingness to cooperate and share intelligence with Iran raised questions about the Orban government’s relationship with Tehran, particularly amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, the Washington Post said. 

Leftist daily Nepszava adds that this is at odds with the staunchly pro-Israel stance of the Orban government, which has consistently backed the Jewish state at the United Nations and even withdrew from the International Criminal Court during a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu to Budapest

The Washington Post noted that the White House was simultaneously supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s reelection campaign.

The report was published just as US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Hungary on April 7 to help Viktor Orban's election campaign, a move some commentators suggested was no mere coincidence. 

CNN reported first that Vance was extending his stay in Budapest by one day, from where he would travel to Pakistan to lead the US delegation at the ceasefire talks with Iran on April 11. That plan apparently changed, as news agencies reported that the US VP boarded Air Force Two in Hungary, en-route back to the United States, in the late hours of April 8.

During the day, Vance paid a visit to Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a government-funded academic institute close to Fidesz, which operates offices in several European capitals to promote Viktor Orban’s conservative, anti-EU agenda.

He said that Hungary’s sovereignty is under attack, criticising those who downplay EU financial pressure and Ukraine-related energy pressures as foreign interference.  

Vance said his two-day visit to Hungary was rooted in a conviction that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had been the subject of "many unfair attacks" during the campaign; "we wanted to demonstrate that he has many friends who think that he's doing a good job..."

Vance stated that Orban had briefed him on the Ukrainian President linking energy supplies to the outcome of Hungary’s elections. According to the Hungarian prime minister, Volodymyr Zelenskiy reportedly said, "If you don’t vote this way, you won’t receive additional energy", referring to the delay in restarting the Druzhba pipeline supplying crude oil to Hungary. 

Vance described the comments as direct pressure intended to sway voters. 

The second day of Vance’s visit attracted far less coverage in local media, including pro-Orban outlets, compared with the first day, when he and Orban held a joint press conference and appeared together at a campaign rally at a Budapest sports hall.