The podcast explores the US intervention in Iran, including the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, and the consequences that followed, including the rise of a hardline Shia fundamentalist regime within Iran.
This podcast episode talks about the techniques and strategies used by the CIA to recruit and surveil agents, as well as the failures and successes of their operations.
The Reagan administration secretly provided highly classified intelligence to Iraq and permitted the sale of American-made arms to Baghdad to help President Saddam Hussein avert imminent defeat in the war with Iran. The policies had a major impact on the man Qasim Sulimani became and the tactics he engaged in for the rest of his life.
Qasem Soleimani began his military career with the Iran-Iraq War and gained a reputation for being incorruptible. He was then appointed to lead Iran's notorious Quds Force where he supported conservative clerical elements in the Iranian government and clashed with student protestors.
The speaker talks about his time in the military, specifically highlighting the height of war and intelligence gathering capabilities working with the CIA. He mentions the infrastructure exploitation and the birth of the special reconnaissance piece, showcasing his work that involved finding, fixing, and killing targets.