The KGB in Iran: Appeasing the Ayatollah with Ben Macintyre (Ep 2)

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:03) **Introduction and Setup** - David McCloskey and Gordon Carrera welcome back Ben Macintyre to discuss the second half of the Redwood case, focusing on how the KGB officer was run in Iran and his legacy.
• 2 (04:36) **Redwood's Strategic Intel: The Soviet Coup Plot** - Ben explains the immense value of the intelligence Redwood provided, revealing a Soviet-backed communist coup plan for Iran.
• 3 (09:02) **The Confluence of Fears: MI6, CIA, and the Reagan Administration** - The hosts discuss how the Redwood intelligence was viewed by the new CIA Director Bill Casey and the Reagan administration, who were already deeply worried about Iran and Afghanistan.
• 4 (11:11) **The Human Element: Redwood's Motivation and Medical Problem** - The conversation returns to Redwood's personal crisis: his erectile dysfunction and failing marriage, which MI6 tried to manage with sensitivity but could not cure.
• 5 (14:16) **The Exfiltration Dilemma** - Redwood's posting is ending, and MI6 desperately wants him to return to Moscow for a desk job, but he refuses, forcing McCready to build an escape plan.
• 6 (18:54) **The Breaking Point: Redwood Confesses to His Wife** - About nine months into the case, Redwood cracks and tells Galina the truth about his spying, but she refuses to join him, creating a new crisis.
• 7 (20:37) **Tradecraft and Communications in Tehran** - The hosts detail how Redwood and McCready operated in Tehran, using brush contacts, dead drops, and a critical Soviet surveillance system.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app