Former CIA analyst and bestselling spy novelist David McCloskey returns to Spymasters to talk to Antonia Senior about his new thriller The Persian — a razor-sharp spy story set inside the Israel–Iran shadow war.

We discuss how real-world covert operations (from sabotage to targeted assassinations) have shaped modern espionage, and how spy fiction can capture the human cost of clandestine conflict: fear, tradecraft, loyalty, identity, and moral compromise. McCloskey breaks down how he researches intelligence operations using open-source reporting and conversations with former practitioners — and why he chose to write a spy novel with no Americans at the center of the story.

We also explore the culture and risk tolerance differences between intelligence services, the evolution of surveillance and remote warfare, and the perennial question: should writers “stay in their lane,” or is imagining other lives the whole point of fiction?

• What the Israel–Iran covert conflict looks like — and why it’s perfect terrain for a spy novel

• The premise of The Persian: a Persian Jewish dentist recruited as a Mossad asset

• Researching espionage through open-source intelligence (OSINT), reporting, and real tradecraft insight

• Mossad vs CIA: risk tolerance, bureaucracy, operational style, and culture

• Remote and tech-enabled killing — drones, distance, and the changing nature of modern war

• Writing morally complex characters (and why the book isn’t a “morality play”)

• Representation in fiction: writing characters outside your own experience

• A teaser for McCloskey’s next novel: CIA and MI6 under strain — and spying on each other again

David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and the author of multiple acclaimed spy novels including Damascus Station, Moscow X, and The Seventh Floor. His work is known for its operational authenticity and insider-level realism — without losing sight of the human story.

The Persian is out now (publication-day episode). Available wherever you buy books, or here: https://amzn.eu/d/5DzqbwC

If you enjoy deep-dive conversations on espionage, intelligence history, covert action, tradecraft, and spy fiction, hit Follow on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and leave a rating — it helps more listeners find the show.

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