The Rest Is Classified – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger

History

Frequency: 1 episode/3d. Total Eps: 204

Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations. Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events. From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.

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Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - history
26/08/2026
#18
🇬🇧 Great Britain - history
26/08/2026
#2
🇬🇧 Great Britain - General
26/08/2026
#19
🇩🇪 Germany - history
26/08/2026
#35
🇺🇸 USA - history
26/08/2026
#21
🇫🇷 France - history
26/08/2026
#66
🇨🇦 Canada - history
25/08/2026
#13
🇬🇧 Great Britain - history
25/08/2026
#2
🇬🇧 Great Britain - General
25/08/2026
#15
🇩🇪 Germany - history
25/08/2026
#38

Spotify

🇬🇧 Great Britain - history
26/08/2026
#2
→
🇬🇧 Great Britain - trending
26/08/2026
#131
↗
🇬🇧 Great Britain - top-podcasts
26/08/2026
#63
↗
🇺🇸 USA - history
26/08/2026
#42
↗

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up
88 shares
https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED
64 shares
https://nordvpn.com/restisclassified
54 shares

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/foul-play/id1896803199
2 shares

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 73%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

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1. The First CIA Coup: Oil, Iran, and MI6 (Ep 1)

Season 1 · Episode 1

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 • Duration 42:25

Welcome... to the first episode of The Rest Is Classified! It's Iran 1951. Mohammad Mossadegh, fuelled by an ever-growing nationalism, has just been elected Prime Minister. Immediately he chooses to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, much to the anger of the British who control the majority stake. In response, MI6 are determined to destabilise his government and remove him from power. So they begin to conspire with the CIA. Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of Teddy Roosevelt and agency man, will go from Washington to Tehran and, building on existing instability, foment chaos on the streets. But it won't be plain sailing... Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera tell the story of the 1953 Iranian coup orchestrated by the CIA and MI6. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Editor: Kieron Leslie Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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2. The First CIA Coup: Turmoil in Tehran (Ep 2)

Season 1 · Episode 2

Thursday, November 28, 2024 • Duration 31:00

The first coup attempt has failed. The Shah has fled to Baghdad. The CIA have told Kermit he can leave if he's in a jam, but he chooses not to. He wants to finish the job. The streets of Tehran are chaos; protesters against the Shah are out in their thousands and things are getting violent. But in this Kermit sees an opportunity. If he stokes enough disorder will the majority of the capital turn against Mossadegh's radical supporters? What follows is a tale of dirty tricks, armed weightlifters, and, bizarrely, a series of Iranian politicians in their pyjamas... Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera tell the story of the 1953 Iranian coup orchestrated by the CIA and MI6. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Editor: Kieron Leslie Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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4. The Rise and Fall of Assad's Spy State

Season 1 · Episode 4

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 • Duration 37:29

What will western and Syrian spy services be focusing on following the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Is Russia and Iran’s withdrawal from Syria similar to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan? Were the security services predicting that the Assad regime would collapse so quickly? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they answer all these questions and more in this emergency episode of The Rest Is Classified. For further reading, check out David and Gordon’s recommended profiles below: Razan Saffour - @RazanSpeaks Aaron Zelin - @azelin Leila Al-Shami - @LeilaShami Charles Lister - @Charles_Lister Synaps Network - @SynapsNetwork Kim Ghattas - @KimGhattas Emma Beals - @ejbeals Steve Heydemann - @SHeydemann Rim Turkmani - @Rim_Turkmani Lina Ghoutouk - @linaagho Sednaya Missing - @sednayamissing Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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3. CIA vs the Taliban: Behind Enemy Lines (Ep 1)

Season 1 · Episode 3

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 • Duration 45:43

America knew Al-Qaeda were behind the 9/11 attacks before the day was out. They knew they were being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan and so the CIA went after them. Small teams were dropped behind enemy lines with bags of cash and very little else, instructed to link up with Afghan warlords like Abdul Rashid Dostum. It proved to be a devastating combination as they began to sweep through Afghanistan. Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the first CIA teams first in Afghanistan after 9/11. Further Reading: First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 by Toby Harnden - buy it here. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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5. CIA vs the Taliban: Bin Laden's Trojan Horse (Ep 2)

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 • Duration 40:33

Mazar i-Sharif has fallen without much of a fight. The Taliban's grip on Afghanistan is looking all the more shaky. It seems as if the American policy to work with the warlords is paying dividends. Enemy fighters are surrendering to them. But is it all too rosy? In the centre of Mazar i-Sharif, the Americans take 400 Al-Qaeda captives to Qala-i-Jangi, the Fort of War. They believe they have surrendered. But all is not as it seems... Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss the first CIA teams in Afghanistan in the days after 9/11. Further Reading: First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 by Toby Harnden - buy it here. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Editor: Vasco Andrade Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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6. The Real Godfather: Assad’s Syrian Mafia (Ep 1)

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 • Duration 44:05

How did Bashar al-Assad become one of the Middle East’s most feared dictators? What role did Hezbollah play in the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005? And how did Assad’s rise to ultimate power mirror the ascent of Michael Corleone in the Godfather? As the new millennium dawned, Bashar al-Assad prepared to step into his father’s shoes as the next authoritarian president of Syria. While he enjoyed a smooth ascension to the top job, trouble was brewing over the border in Lebanon as the Lebanese Prime Minister sought to escape the debilitating control of its Syrian master. What follows is a story straight out of the Godfather canon with a mafiosi state fighting for ultimate power and a network of spies working to neutralise opposing gangs. Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the Syrian plot to assassinate the Lebanese Prime Minister at the turn of the 21st century. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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7. The Real Godfather: The Assassination that Shook Syria (Ep 2)

Season 1 · Episode 7

Thursday, December 19, 2024 • Duration 39:40

Did the assassination of Rafic Hariri lay the foundations for the ultimate downfall of the Assad regime? And was the Syrian dictator always destined for evil, or was evil thrust upon him? Rafic Hariri is looking over his shoulder, anxious for his future, with Bashar al-Assad hellbent on his removal from power. He steps up his security detail and coordinates convoluted exit strategies, but his efforts are ultimately in vain. So, what was the long-term impact of the assassination of the Lebanese president for the Syrian dictator? Listen as David and Gordon tell the story of the gruesome killing of President Hariri and the parallels between Assad and the ill-fated mafiosi, Michael Corleone. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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8. The Man Who Made MI6

Season 1 · Episode 8

Wednesday, December 25, 2024 • Duration 46:15

The daring, gadget-loving, mischievous founder of MI6. Mansfield Cumming, the first C, was a former navy man brought out of retirement to keep tabs on German spies around the outbreak of the First World War. Over the following decade he established MI6 and set it on course to be a central part of the British security apparatus. Known to test the mettle of potential employees by taking a knife out and stabbing his own wooden leg; Mansfield was an eccentric man who's personality has come to shape the institution which he founded. In this Christmas special, listen as David and Gordon discuss the founding of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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9. North Korea’s CIA: Inside Kim’s Crime Family (Ep 1)

Season 1 · Episode 9

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 • Duration 42:53

How did a group of North Korean cyber criminals manage to pull off the biggest bank heist in history? Did Kim Jong Un really orchestrate the murder of his own brother? And what does it take to keep an authoritarian state afloat? A seemingly innocuous spearfishing email lands in the inbox of an unsuspecting employee at the Central Bank of Bangladesh. Months of patient digital hacking follow, all masterminded by a team of cyber criminals within North Korea’s shadowy spy service. But how did they manage it? Listen as David and Gordon uncover how the North Korean state created one of the world’s most dangerous crime syndicates. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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10. North Korea’s CIA: The Billion Dollar Heist (Ep 2)

Season 1 · Episode 10

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 • Duration 43:53

What happens when an authoritarian state runs its security services like an organised crime syndicate? Why did a group of North Korean cyber criminals gamble away vast sums of stolen money in the casinos of Las Vegas? And did Kim Jong Un's spies get away with their billion dollar heist? After over a year of work, the North Korean cyber criminals are inside the Central Bank of Bangladesh and about to escape with their bags of cash, but there's a glitch. The account they plan to send the stolen money to in the Philippines has triggered a security alert with the Federal Reserve in New York. Will they avoid getting caught in the act? Listen as David and Gordon share the dramatic details of how a North Korean spy ring orchestrated one of the biggest bank robberies in history. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Rest Is Classified – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

The Rest Is Classified – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other15

Apple Podcast1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other15

Apple Podcast1

Apple Podcasts

Spotify