The Rest Is Classified

Latest Episodes:

148. Can Europe Salvage its Relationship with Trump? Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Is there anyone telling Trump, ‘No’? Is Trump’s use of power getting more unhinged? And should Europe have done more to open the Strait of Hormuz?

Listen back to David and Gordon live on YouTube with Washington Post columnist and author, David Ignatius, to discuss the latest on Trump’s war in the Middle East.

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THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/

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Head of History: Dom Johnson

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147. Will Trump Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Programme? (Ep 2) Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

How do you actually destroy a nuclear programme? What would a US boots-on-the-ground raid inside Iran look like? And do David and Gordon think Trump will take Operation Epic Fury to the next level?

Listen as David and Gordon imagine what it would take to destroy Iran's nuclear programme.

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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.

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Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com⁠⁠⁠

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Video Editors: Imogen Marriott, Bruno Di Castri and Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

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Head of History: Dom Johnson

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146. How the CIA Rescued a Pilot Inside Iran (Ep 1) Apr 12, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

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145. Black Hawk Down: What Osama bin Laden Learnt from Somalia (Ep 4) Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

What was the legacy of the Battle of Mogadishu? How did the fallout change the US presence in Somalia forever? And how did the experience in Somalia inspire Osama bin Laden’s acts of terror?

Listen as David and Gordon conclude their four-part series on the extraordinary events of Black Hawk Down.

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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.

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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

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Video Editor: Joe Pettit

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Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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144. Black Hawk Down: The Bloodiest US Battle Since Vietnam (Ep 3) Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

How long will the Battle of Mogadishu last? Can the soldiers survive until daylight? And will the Rescue Team come in time to save the soldiers?

Listen as David and Gordon reach the climax of the story of Black Hawk Down.

-------------------

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.

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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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠

Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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143. Black Hawk Down: Chaos in Mogadishu (Ep 2) Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

One Black Hawk is down. Americans are taking fire left, right and centre. And it feels like there’s no way out.

This is the true story of Black Hawk Down.

Listen as David and Gordon continue the story of the Battle of Mogadishu as it escalates beyond the plans of the generals back at the US base.

-------------------

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.

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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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Email: ⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com

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Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠

Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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142. Black Hawk Down: The True Story (Ep 1) Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

What really happened at the Battle of Mogadishu? How did an operation that should have taken an hour end up taking almost twenty-four? And what brought US troops into the conflict in the first place?

Listen as David and Gordon embark on telling the true story of one of the deadliest US operations since the Vietnam War.

-------------------

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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠

Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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141. Trump’s Latin America Playbook: How the CIA Toppled a Regime (Ep 2) Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

How did the CIA mastermind one of the most audacious coups in world history? What does it take to remove a world leader? And what does the future hold for Latin America with Donald Trump now at the helm of US foreign policy?

Listen as David and Gordon recount the story of the 1954 Guatemalan coup and delve into whether Cuba will be the next state on Donald Trump's hit list.

-------------------

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.

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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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Email: ⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠

Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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140. Trump’s Latin America Playbook: Before Venezuela, There Was Guatemala (Ep 1) Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Is Cuba next on Trump's hit list? Why are the US so concerned by what's happening in their "backyard"? And what can we learn from the history of regime change in Latin America to help us understand the "Donroe Doctrine"?

Listen as David and Gordon delve inside the Guatemalan coup of 1954 and examine what Donald Trump has learnt from how the CIA plotted regime change in the agency's early years.

-------------------

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.

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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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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139. Trump vs Iran: Saddam Hussein and the Nuclear Bomb (Ep 2) Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

After 9/11 it looked as though a new path of diplomacy could be forged between Iran and the US, and then George Bush referred to the nation as part of the Axis of Evil. The years that followed were characterised by Iran-backed terror attacks, regional instability and an uncertain future.

But how did we get here?

Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by historian and author Arash Azizi to discuss the role of Saddam Hussein and Iran’s nuclear programme in the long conflict between Iran and the US.

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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

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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