The Gist David McCloskey on Why Real-World Spying is "Too Crazy for Fiction"
9 snips
Jan 14, 2026 
David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and novelist, dives into the thrilling realities behind his spy novel, The Persian. He reveals how astonishing real-world Mossad operations in Iran, like the remote-controlled machine-gun assassination and the pager attack that crippled Hezbollah, are often more unbelievable than fiction. McCloskey also discusses the nuances of Israeli tradecraft, the impact of moral complexity in character portrayal, and how the U.S. intelligence framework differs from Israeli successes, all while weaving in elements of regional tensions and unexpected twists.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Reality Outdoes Spy Fiction
- Real Mossad operations inside Iran are often stranger than fiction and need little embellishment to read like thrillers.
- David McCloskey says he straight-up used the 2020 Fakhrizadeh operation as raw material for his novel.
Machine Gun Assassination Moved To Fiction
- The 2020 remote-controlled machine-gun style killing inspired a similar urban assassination scene in The Persian.
- McCloskey confirms Israelis would accept higher risk and sometimes collateral damage to reach critical targets.
Pager Attack Broke Command And Control
- The pager attack degraded Hezbollah's command-and-control by injuring many part-time operators and reducing their mobilization capacity.
- McCloskey argues that operation plus strikes shifted the strategic balance compared with 2006.
