About this episode

The episode discusses the CIA's involvement in rescuing a US pilot in Iran and the implications for nuclear programs.

How involved were the CIA in the operation to rescue a US pilot stranded inside Iran? What does it take to "destroy" a nuclear programme? And what could Iran learn from North Korea? Listen as David and Gordon discuss the intricacies of the recent mission to extract a downed US Weapons Officer inside Iran and delve into how this operation might help the US and Israel launch an attack on Iran's nuclear programme. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: ⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠⁠ ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community…

People in this episode

Hosts: David, Gordon

Topics covered

• CIA operations
• Iran
• nuclear programs
• military rescue
• espionage
• US foreign policy

Keywords

• CIA
• Iran
• nuclear program
• US pilot
• espionage
• North Korea
• military operation

Sponsors

HP

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CIA, North Korea

Places: Iran, US, London

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