Current sectionMiddle East NewsIran NewsAnalysis Was Israel pushing regime change as long as two decades ago? Either way, the Ahmadinejad option is loony, and the Gulf states have explained to the U.S. president that time is on Tehran's sideShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeZvi Bar'el10:25 PM • May 21 2026 IDTIn 2012, Meir Dagan, who had just stepped down from a nine-year stint heading the Mossad, was interviewed by CBS' "60 Minutes." Leslie Stahl asked if he thought Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a rational person. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:IranMahmoud AhmadinejadMeir DaganDonald TrumpMossadCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesGaza FlotillaTrump-IranIsrael ElectionsU.S. MidtermsNakba DayShavuotHaQuizHaaretz PodcastTrump Has to Forget About Ahmadinejad and Make Iran a Real OfferPoland Intends to Bar Ben-Gvir From Country Over Gaza Flotilla Activists VideoSuspects Charged in Iran-linked Plot Against Jewish Leaders in GermanyU.S. Jewish Leaders Decry Israeli Ambassador Calling J Street 'Cancer' in LetterIsrael's Jon Stewart Is on a Mission to Free Young Voters From Netanyahu's HoldRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHundreds Protest at New York Times HQ Over Column Alleging Abuse by IsraelisICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli OfficialsEverybody Loses in the Cynical Israeli-Palestinian Sexual Violence CompetitionIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankThe Most Consequential Republican Primary for Israel Is Happening in KentuckyUnmoved by Trump's Ticking Clock, Iran Forms a New Reality in the Persian Gulf`