World
Leon Panetta: US 'Missed Golden Opportunity' to Change Iranian Regime
Leon Panetta, former CIA director, stated in an interview with NZZ published on August 9, 2026, that the United States "missed the golden opportunity for a regime change in Iran." He attributes these errors not to the CIA, but to a president he describes as incapable of listening. The interview also addresses the convergence between the Ukrainian and Gulf conflicts, illustrated by a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian cargo vessel.