A politician, a pope and a president

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani all spoke with CBS News this week, sharing their thoughts on issues ranging from the 2016 presidential election to U.S.-Iran relations.

Hillary Clinton

Full interview: Hillary Clinton, September 20

Speaking to "Face the Nation" moderator John Dickerson on Sunday, Clinton offered a candid assessment of the situation in Syria after a top American commander in the Middle East admitted that only four or five moderate Syrian fighters the U.S. trained still remained on the battlefield.

"Where we are today is not where we were. And where we are today is that we have a failed program," Clinton said.

The former first lady, senator, secretary of state, and two-time presidential candidate also said that she thinks she is an outsider in the 2016 race for the White House.

"I cannot imagine anyone being more of an outsider than the first woman president," Clinton said.

Pope Francis

Meanwhile, the Vatican recently invited CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley to have a word with Pope Francis, and witness the moving experience coming this week to the United States.

"What is your goal for America?" Pelley asked Francis about his upcoming trip to the U.S.

The pope's response: "To meet people."

When asked if he would speak of immigration and the dispossessed in America, Francis responded: "I shall talk about what the Holy Spirit will inspire me to say."

Hassan Rouhani

President Rouhani

Finally, in the wake of the historic nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft traveled to Tehran to sit down with Rouhani, for the first interview he has given to a Western news organization in nearly a year. Rouhani told Kroft that the distrust between the United States and Iran "will not go away soon" but expressed optimism nonetheless.

"Are we heading towards amplifying the enmity or decreasing this enmity? I believe we have taken the first steps towards decreasing this enmity," Rouhani said.

Next up ...

Another world leader - Russian President Vladimir Putin - recently sat down with CBS News' Charlie Rose. That exclusive interview can be seen this Sunday on "60 Minutes."

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