<div> <p>Israel has killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The IRGC's senior leadership is decimated. The CIA is reportedly arming Kurdish opposition forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Phillip Smyth — one of the foremost experts on Iran's Shia proxy networks — joins Matt to make sense of what comes next: why Khamenei's succession is far more fraught than most analysis acknowledges; why the proliferation of "new" armed groups on the battlefield is largely a disinformation campaign run by established militias; the limits of a Kurdish covert action strategy; why a regime that survives under Khamenei’s son would look essentially identical to the one the Israelis just tried to destroy; and Smyth's warning about the apocalyptic messianic splinter groups that could emerge from the rubble of a collapsing theocracy.</p><p>Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, global issues, and current affairs.</p><p>Follow Phillip on X/Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/PhillipSmyth">https://x.com/PhillipSmyth</a><br>Connect with Phillip on LinkedIn: <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/phillipsmyth">https://linkedin.com/in/phillipsmyth<br></a><br>Phllip’s work for The Washington Institute: <a href="https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth">https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth<br></a><br>Phillip’s work for the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point: <a href="https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/">https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/<br></a><br>Phllip’s work for The Washington Institute: <a href="https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth">https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth<br></a><br>Phillip’s work for the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point: <a href="https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/">https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/<br></a><br>“Inside the Operation That Killed Khamenei” by Anat Peled, Milàn Czerny, Dov Lieber &amp; Anika Arora Seth | <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/inside-the-operation-that-killed-khamenei-03eebbad">https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/inside-the-operation-that-killed-khamenei-03eebbad</a></p><p>"How the Assault on Iran Unfolded" by David M. Halbfinger and Ronen Bergman | <em>The New York Times</em>: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/world/middleeast/iran-israel-strikes.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/world/middleeast/iran-israel-strikes.html</a></p><p>"Trump Weighs Backing Militias to Dislodge Iran’s Regime" by Alexander War &amp; Vera Bergenruen | <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-leadership-succession-b5c4118e">https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-leadership-succession-b5c4118e<br></a><br>"Pro-American Kurdish Forces Are Preparing Possible Iran Incursion" by Erika Solomon, Julian E. Barnes, Christiaan Triebert, Parin Behrooz &amp; Farnaz Fassihi | <em>The New York Times</em>: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/politics/kurds-trump-iran-war.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/politics/kurds-trump-iran-war.html</a></p></div><h1><strong>Please share this episode using these links</strong></h1><div><p>Audio: link: <a href="https://pod.fo/e/39ff0f">https://pod.fo/e/39ff0f</a><br>YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/j8crrYkaY4E">https://youtu.be/j8crrYkaY4E</a></p></div><h1><strong>Support Secrets and Spies</strong></h1><div> <p>Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies">https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies</a><br>Buy merchandise from our shop: <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996">https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996</a><br>Buy us a coffee: <a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspies">https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspies</a><br>Subscribe to our YouTube page: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg</a></p><p>For more information about the podcast, check out our website: <a href="https://secretsandspiespodcast.com">https://secretsandspiespodcast.com</a></p></div><h1><strong>Connect with us on social media</strong></h1><div> <p>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/secretsandspies">https://instagram.com/secretsandspies</a><br>Facebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/secretsandspies">https://facebook.com/secretsandspies</a><br>Spoutible: <a href="https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies">https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies<br></a><br>Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:<br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social</a><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net">https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net<br></a><br><em>Secrets and Spies</em> is produced by Films &amp; Podcasts LTD: <a href="https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/">https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/</a><br>Music by Andrew R. Bird<br>Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP</p><p><em>Secrets and Spies</em> sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.</p></div>