How America Went Blind in Iran | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

How America Went Blind in Iran | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

Author: dee takos July 23, 2026 Duration: 1:38:48
This week we trace four decades of American intelligence failure in Iran, from the 1953 CIA coup against Mossadegh through the 1979 embassy takeover that wiped out our human network overnight. Jonathan Hackett walks us through Stuxnet, the JCPOA, the 2019 rollup of our entire asset network, and why we're now dependent on Israeli intelligence to tell us what's happening underground.
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00:00 - Start
02:04 - Before 1953: the Qajars, the Constitutional Revolution, and Sykes-Picot
09:07 - Why Iranians haven't ruled themselves since Islam arrived
12:42 - Operation Ajax: Mossadegh nationalizes the oil and the CIA moves in
18:02 - Khomeini in exile: tapes, France, and the promises he made
20:38 - The MEK, Jundallah, and the separatist groups nobody agrees with
28:31 - Would removing the regime plunge Iran into civil war?
34:13 - The Shah's Westernization push and the rise of Shia fanaticism
40:16 - 1979: the embassy, the shredded documents, and losing every asset
43:52 - Saddam's invasion is what made the revolution real
46:42 - Backing both sides: the US strategy in the Iran-Iraq war
50:35 - Iran-Contra and Operation Eagle Claw
53:09 - Hezbollah's real origins: Berkeley, Amal, and the Israeli occupation
01:02:38 - A.Q. Khan, Israel's undeclared arsenal, and the 2003 nuclear announcement
01:09:31 - Stuxnet: five countries, a USB drive, and jumping the air gap
01:14:20 - Building the JCPOA and what Trump's withdrawal actually accomplished
01:19:39 - 2019: how the entire US spy network in Iran was rolled up
01:22:50 - Why we went in this time, and the eight men in the room
01:29:19 - No end state: where this leaves us and why carriers can't secure Hormuz


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Hosted by Jack Murphy, The Team House is a long-form conversation built around a simple, powerful premise: to understand national security, you need to listen to the people who have been there. This podcast deliberately steps away from the partisan noise, offering a fiercely apolitical space where special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, and frontline reporters can share their experiences and analysis. Many guests here are speaking publicly for the very first time, providing raw, firsthand accounts that you won't find elsewhere. Each episode is a deep dive into the realities of conflict, the nuanced tradecraft of intelligence work, and the underlying geopolitical forces that shape global events. The conversations are detailed, often technical, and always grounded in the lived expertise of the guests. Alongside this main show, the The Team House network includes the sister program Eyes On Geopolitics, hosted by Mick Mulroy, Andy Milburn, and Jason Lyons, which continues the focus on global dynamics with a similarly experienced lens. For listeners seeking substance over soundbites, this podcast delivers complex narratives about modern warfare, espionage, and international relations, told directly by the individuals who have operated within these shadowed worlds. It’s a rare opportunity to hear unfiltered perspectives on the most critical security challenges of our time, making each episode an immersive lesson in the human and strategic dimensions of power.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Team House
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