How did a Holocaust-denying, hardline former president of Iran become the centerpiece of an Israeli plan to topple the regime in Tehran? Former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and co-host John Raine sit down with New York Times investigative journalists Mark Mazzetti and Ronen Bergman to detail the high-stakes intelligence mission that preceded Operation Epic Fury. They explain how Israel’s Mossad groomed former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into an intelligence asset, and how Mossad director David Barnea Ahmadinejad to the White House in February 2026 as part of a plan for rapid regime change in Iran. They also discuss the plan’s collapse within days of the decapitation strikes, why the plan to use Kurdish forces as a ground proxy was a non-starter, how the political fallout from the war may forever change US-Israel relations, and the electoral implications for both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this fall.
(00:00) Legacy of the Iran War
(02:30) Origins of Ahmadinejad Plot
(05:10) Planning Iranian Regime Change
(08:08) Was Ahmadinejad a Double Agent?
(12:45) Why Recruit Ahmadinejad?
(15:34) Selling Trump on Regime Change
(25:12) Credibility of Kurdish Option
(33:27) War Planning vs. Reality
(35:32) Legacy of Ahmadinejad Plot
(38:55) Did Israel Manipulate the US?
(41:44) Mood of Iranian People
(43:58) Deal Prospects
(46:18) Maximum Pressure on Iran
(48:05) Impact of Israel’s Coming Elections
(49:03) Takeaways, Audience Comments, and Wrap Up
Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host John Raine (International Institute for Strategic Studies)
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