Restricted Handling Podcast

Ryan Fugit

5.0 (3)
Politics

Former CIA officers get experts insights on Russia, China, Iran, North Korea; international security, geopolitics, military, intel operations, sanctions and economic power plays. Get deeper daily analysis on Substack at https://substack.com/@restrictedhandling. Find daily intel brief podcasts on Russia, China, and Iran at https://open.spotify.com/show/6Kb9BYk98BEmeHVpgWiklG

14h ago

Who Is Running Iran w/ Iran Expert Alex Vatanka Plus Nukes, Is Mojtaba Alive, What Trump Should Do

Who is running Iran when its supreme leader stays out of sight? See the Iran leadership chart at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/iran 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more Ryan Fugit sits down with Iran expert and author Alex Vatanka to examine who holds power inside the Islamic Republic, why the regime has survived sustained pressure, and what a realistic American strategy would require. Vatanka explains why Mojtaba Khamenei's absence leaves unanswered questions, how Revolutionary Guard networks shape decisions, and why disagreements inside the regime still matter. He also challenges the assumption that airstrikes and economic sanctions alone can deliver regime change. In this episode, we cover: • What we can and cannot conclude about Mojtaba Khamenei's absence • Why the IRGC could benefit from a politically weak supreme leader • The divide between factions seeking a deal and those preparing for prolonged confrontation • How Washington could support Iranian civil society • Iran's enriched uranium and the limits of destroying nuclear facilities • The Strait of Hormuz, energy markets, and economic warfare • Why public anger does not automatically become an uprising • What the United States needs to decide about its end state • Polymarket questions about Mojtaba's public return and a possible American ground invasion The central question: how does military pressure become a political outcome? Vatanka lays out the stakes for Washington, the Iranian people, and the wider region. Prediction-market figures discussed reflect the conversation at the time of recording. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Alex Vatanka's warning on the Iran war • 00:59 Is Mojtaba alive, and who is running Iran? • 05:09 Why Mojtaba was chosen as supreme leader • 08:06 Can military pressure and sanctions force a deal? • 11:06 The factions dividing Iran's leadership • 15:56 How the US could support Iranian civil society • 19:43 Iran's enriched uranium and nuclear bargaining power • 20:33 Sponsor message • 21:31 Hormuz, economic warfare, and rebuilding nuclear capabilities • 23:55 How to track Iran's competing power networks • 26:20 Could economic decline trigger an uprising? • 29:43 What should America's end state in Iran be? • 32:52 Polymarket: Will Mojtaba make a public appearance? • 33:59 Polymarket: Will the US launch a ground invasion? About Alex Vatanka Alex Vatanka is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute specializing in Middle Eastern security, with a particular focus on Iran. Born in Tehran, he previously served as a senior analyst at Jane's Information Group in London and has testified before the US Congress. His work examines Iranian domestic politics, security networks, and foreign policy. Official MEI biography MEI profile and latest analysis: https://mei.edu/person/alex-vatanka/ Personal website and biography: https://www.vatanka.com/about His books: The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy, and Political Rivalry since 1979 (2021) Explores how the rivalry between Ali Khamenei and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani shaped Iran's politics and foreign policy. This is the book most directly connected to your conversation about competing power networks. Publisher page at Bloomsbury / I.B. Tauris Iran and Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy and American Influence (2015; paperback 2017) Examines the relationship between Tehran and Islamabad, including cooperation and tensions over Afghanistan, religion, security, and American influence. Publisher page at Bloomsbury / I.B. Tauris Book page on Alex's website More from Restricted Handling: https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 31

TOPGUN Instructor on Iran, Drones, Why We Can't Eliminate the threat from Iran and the Future of Air War w/ Dave Berke

America can destroy most of an enemy's air threat and still leave enough hidden launchers to keep the war dangerous. 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more Ryan Fugit sits down with Dave Berke, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, former TOPGUN instructor, and the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor. Drawing on combat missions, carrier deployments, and experience flying the F-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35, Berke explains what extended operations at sea demand from sailors and aviators, why Iran can continue launching missiles after a massive strike campaign, and how drones are forcing the military to rethink air warfare. In this episode, we cover: • What more than 250 days at sea can do to an aircraft carrier crew • Steam catapults versus electromagnetic launch systems • Why promising military technology sometimes gets worse before it gets better • What Ukraine has demonstrated about drones, autonomy, and AI • How TOPGUN and frontline warfighters are adapting to unmanned warfare • Why Iran's mobile missile launchers are so difficult to eliminate • What reported aircraft losses reveal about modern combat • How decentralized command gives American forces an advantage • Why Berke filled his leadership book with his own mistakes • Jocko Willink's advice to write 1,000 words a day This conversation offers a rare operator's view of carrier aviation, technological change, and the uncomfortable reality that even the world's most capable military cannot remove every threat from the battlefield. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 The Herculean performance of carrier aviation over Iran • 00:24 Meet former TOPGUN instructor Dave Berke • 02:47 What 250 days at sea does to a carrier crew • 06:25 The shore leave question no one can answer on air • 08:00 Steam catapults versus electromagnetic launch systems • 11:13 What Ukraine teaches the U.S. military about drones and AI • 13:20 How TOPGUN is adapting to unmanned warfare • 14:48 Why Iran's mobile missile launchers are so hard to eliminate • 17:54 What reported U.S. aircraft losses reveal about modern combat • 20:12 Why even a dominant military still takes losses • 21:34 Decentralized command and the future of American airpower • 24:06 Why writing The Need to Lead was so difficult • 26:19 Jocko's 1,000-words-a-day advice • 27:08 Why authentic failure makes leadership lessons stronger • 28:19 How junior pilots helped Berke master the F-22 About Dave Berke Dave Berke is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, former TOPGUN graduate and instructor, and the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor. He flew combat missions from aircraft carriers and in Iraq and Afghanistan, commanded the world's first F-35B squadron, and is rated on the F-18 and F-16. He is now the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front and the author of The Need to Lead: A Top Gun Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge. The Need to Lead: A TOPGUN Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge In The Need to Lead, retired Marine fighter pilot and former TOPGUN instructor Dave Berke transforms hard-earned lessons from aerial combat, ground operations, business, and family life into a practical guide to leadership. Through candid stories about mistakes, pressure, humility, and growth, Berke shows that leadership is a skill anyone can develop. The book features a foreword by Jocko Willink and offers useful lessons for anyone responsible for leading a team, a family, or themselves. Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 28

North Korea Has More Leverage Than Before, Kim Jong Un on Russia, China, Trump w/ Expert Rachel Lee

A surprising episode where North Korea in 2026 is stronger, more battle-tested, and less willing to bargain than the country Donald Trump faced in 2019. 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more Ryan Fugit sits down with North Korea expert Rachel Minyoung Lee to examine what Kim Jong Un wants from renewed diplomacy with President Trump and why Pyongyang now believes it is negotiating from a position of strength. Rachel explains how analysts separate real signals from North Korean propaganda, why Kim Yo Jong's measured response to Trump matters, and how North Korea uses the rank of its messenger to control the authority of every statement. The conversation also examines what North Korea is gaining from its relationship with Russia, including economic benefits, political protection, battlefield experience, drone lessons, and possible conventional military technology. In this episode, we cover: • Why Kim Jong Un's daughter's reported name remains unconfirmed • How analysts find meaningful signals inside North Korean propaganda • Kim Yo Jong's carefully calibrated response to Trump • Why Pyongyang sees Trump as a diplomatic opportunity • North Korea's demand for recognition of its nuclear status • How the Iran conflict reinforces Kim's nuclear strategy • What North Korea is gaining from the war in Ukraine • Why North Korean forces now possess real battlefield experience • Russia's possible role in modernizing North Korea's conventional military • China's influence over North Korea and its reluctance to use it • The likelihood of another Trump-Kim summit • How a failed summit could increase the risk of miscalculation or conflict This episode explains why personal rapport alone cannot resolve the North Korean nuclear problem. Kim Jong Un has more options, more confidence, and more powerful partners than he did during the 2018 and 2019 summits. If Washington misreads that shift, another high-profile meeting could leave the Korean Peninsula more dangerous. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Rachel Minyoung Lee on decoding North Korea • 01:33 Why Kim Jong Un's daughter's reported name may be wrong • 03:54 Finding the real signal inside North Korean propaganda • 05:41 Why the rank of the messenger changes the message • 09:02 Kim Yo Jong responds to Trump's renewed outreach • 13:24 Why Pyongyang sees Trump as a golden opportunity • 16:35 Downsized military exercises and demands for more concessions • 17:24 Nuclear recognition as North Korea's price for engagement • 19:05 How the Iran conflict reinforces Kim's nuclear strategy • 21:53 What North Korea is getting from Russia • 24:41 Battlefield lessons, drones, and North Korea's combat edge • 26:28 Why Russia may favor conventional military transfers • 29:17 What China wants from North Korea • 31:43 China's leverage and why Beijing will not use it • 36:08 Trump's fascination, bromance, and unfinished business • 39:14 Nuclear recognition and the unclear US endgame • 40:37 How another Trump-Kim photo op could backfire • 43:16 Deterrence gaps and the growing risk of miscalculation About Rachel Minyoung Lee Rachel Minyoung Lee is a senior fellow for the Stimson Center's Korea Program and 38 North. She previously spent two decades as a North Korea collection expert and analyst with the US government's Open Source Enterprise, formerly known as the Open Source Center. Her work has covered North Korean leadership, politics, economics, foreign policy, security, and public messaging. Official 38 North profile: https://www.38north.org/author/rachel-minyoung-lee/ Restricted Handling: https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 27

CIA Director Warns Putin | Glenn Corn's Perspective from the Region | Retired CIA Case Officer/CoS

A CIA director's reported trip to Moscow raises one urgent question: What message did Washington send Vladimir Putin? 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more In this Restricted Handling quickie, Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn break down CIA Director John Ratcliffe's reported eight-hour visit to Moscow and what it could mean for the war in Ukraine. Speaking from Ukraine, Glenn separates the known facts from the speculation surrounding the trip. Ryan and Glenn assess the messages Ratcliffe may have delivered, why Washington chose the CIA channel, and whether pressure from the Trump administration could restart negotiations. In this episode, we cover: • What Ratcliffe may have been sent to tell Moscow • Possible warnings involving sanctions, NATO, Black Sea ports, and Iran • Why Russia values intelligence backchannels to the White House • Why Trump may have chosen Ratcliffe instead of Witkoff or Kushner • Zelensky's political position and Ukraine's internal turmoil • The unusual arrival of a security officer as the senior U.S. diplomat in Kyiv • Ukrainian morale following Independence Day • Patriot interceptors and air defense cooperation with London • Possible ceasefire terms involving Crimea and Russian energy infrastructure This conversation explores whether intelligence diplomacy backed by credible pressure can move Russia toward negotiations without allowing Moscow to use talks to buy time on the battlefield. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Cold open: The reported warning to Putin • 00:09 Ryan and Glenn begin the Restricted Handling quickie • 00:56 Glenn checks in from Ukraine • 01:49 John Ratcliffe's reported eight-hour Moscow visit • 02:08 What Washington may have told Putin • 03:51 Kremlin denial and the reported ceasefire framework • 04:40 Why Moscow values intelligence backchannels • 07:03 Why Ratcliffe instead of Witkoff or Kushner? • 07:57 Is Zelensky's political position getting weaker? • 08:19 Internal turmoil and the new U.S. diplomatic representative • 09:30 Ukrainian Independence Day and the danger of internal division • 10:19 Patriot interceptors and cooperation with London • 10:49 Could negotiations restart? • 11:07 Crimea, energy strikes, and possible ceasefire terms How to find Glenn Corn Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/). Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 22

Russia's Pressure Campaign and Armenia's Pivot To U.S. Strategic Partnership and TRIPP Commerce

Armenia is frustrating Putin right now as it builds security through investment, infrastructure, and strategic independence while Russia still holds powerful levers. Sarkis gives us the latest. 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more We're joined by returning guest Sarkis Karabashian to unpack Armenia's pivotal six months: Pashinyan's re-election, Russian pressure, the U.S. strategic partnership, the TRIP route, and a major AI infrastructure bet linking Armenia and Kazakhstan. In this episode, we cover: What Armenia's election result means for its trajectory away from Russia Russia's leverage through gas, trade restrictions, intelligence, and political pressure What the U.S.-Armenia strategic partnership does and does not provide The TRIP route and its role in regional connectivity Firebird's planned AI factory and Armenia-Kazakhstan fiber connection Armenia's careful balancing act with Iran Azerbaijan's constitutional demand before a formal peace agreement Why Kazakhstan's technology ambitions matter for the region Armenia's push for corporate diplomacy in Washington Armenia sits in one of the world's hardest neighborhoods. This conversation explores how a small state is working to diversify its partnerships, strengthen sovereign capacity, and create enough strategic value that larger powers have an interest in its stability. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Armenia, Iran, and strategic ambiguity • 00:14 Armenia's new political window • 01:26 Stability after the election • 03:17 Russian economic pressure and EAEU tensions • 04:38 What the U.S. partnership gives Armenia • 06:46 Firebird's AI factory and strategic infrastructure • 09:33 The TRIP route explained • 11:28 Connecting Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian • 13:36 Israel, Turkey, and Syria's regional friction • 16:17 Russia's retaliation levers • 19:23 Balancing Washington and Tehran • 22:55 Pashinyan's mandate and Armenia's constitution • 27:24 Diaspora connections and Armenia's U.S. support • 28:47 Kazakhstan's AI and digital-state ambitions • 31:21 What regional states are waiting for after Putin • 32:04 Armenia's long-term break from Russian dependence • 33:02 Corporate diplomacy as Armenia's next play About Sarkis Karabashian Sarkis Karabashian returns to discuss Armenia after recent travel in the region, including his observations of public sentiment, regional infrastructure, and the country's evolving relationships with the United States, Russia, Iran, and its neighbors. Find Sarkis at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarkiskarabashian/ Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 14

What Putin Needs to End the War, Hellfires in the Gulf, IRGC Commander Propaganda, Kushner/Witkoff Advice

Putin wants Washington to believe he holds every card, but Glenn Corn argues he is not in the driver's seat. 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn examine what Moscow may actually require to stop the war in Ukraine and how Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff should approach potential negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv. They also discuss how the Iran war could strengthen Putin's position by diverting attention and critical PAC-3 interceptors from Ukraine, along with naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, IRGC propaganda, Russian threats against European shipping, and the potential threat to Air Force One in Turkey. In this episode, we cover: • Why Glenn believes Putin is negotiating from weakness • The military and economic pressure Washington can apply • Ukraine's shortage of PAC-3 interceptors • The structure of a potentially enforceable ceasefire • Sanctions relief as a diplomatic incentive • Territory, NATO membership, and Putin's maximalist demands • How the Iran war diverts resources from Ukraine • What an IRGC general revealed in a rare Western interview • The potential Iranian threat against Air Force One • Russian and Ukrainian battlefield losses • What the Battle of Fort Mercer teaches about Ukrainian resistance • The devastating earthquake in Colombia This conversation offers a direct look at the pressure points shaping Ukraine negotiations and the danger of allowing Moscow or Tehran to manufacture an illusion of strength. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 What Witkoff and Kushner should tell Putin • 00:21 Ukraine negotiations, Iran, and the episode ahead • 00:59 Glenn prepares for the UK, Ukraine, and Ukrainian lessons • 03:57 Drone pranks, remote pilots, and Navy Hellfires • 07:56 What Putin actually needs to end the Ukraine war • 11:49 Ukraine's PAC-3 shortage and Russia's ballistic campaign • 13:14 An enforceable ceasefire and the sanctions question • 15:36 Territory, NATO, and Putin's core demands • 18:45 Can any agreement with Putin last? • 21:15 Robert Gilman's release and Russian threats at sea • 23:23 How the Iran war gives Putin leverage • 27:55 Why US envoys need to visit Ukraine • 29:15 Inside the IRGC's propaganda campaign • 33:16 The potential Iranian threat to Air Force One • 36:57 Russian support for Iran and the strategy of patience • 38:43 The human cost of the Ukraine war • 39:28 What Fort Mercer teaches about Ukrainian resistance • 41:54 Colombia's election and devastating earthquake How to find Glenn Corn Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/). Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 6

US-Iran-Israel-Lebanon Negotiations and Will Hezbollah or Hamas Disarm w/ Senior CIA Officers (ret) Glenn Corn and Ralph Goff

The Middle East is moving on multiple fronts at once, and retired CIA Senior Case Officer Ralph Goff says Iran is the center of gravity. 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn are joined by Ralph Goff, a retired senior CIA operations officer and six-time Chief of Station across Europe, the Middle East, war zones, Central Asia, and South Asia, for a fast-moving discussion on Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Turkey, Ukraine, and the shifting politics of U.S. support for Israel. The conversation starts with the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. leverage over Israel, and the negotiations around Lebanon and Gaza. From there, Ralph and Glenn dig into whether Hezbollah or Hamas can realistically disarm, why Turkey and Israel may be on a collision course, and how AIPAC's role in American politics is changing. They also connect the Middle East crisis to Ukraine, missile defense shortages, Patriot interceptors, Iran's internal factions, and the long-term energy shifts that could hurt both Tehran and Moscow. In this episode, we cover: • Why Ralph sees Iran as the top U.S. priority right now • Whether Trump has unusual leverage over Israel • The challenge of disarming Hezbollah and Hamas • Why Gaza ceasefire talks may be a long shot • Turkey's growing role in the Israel, Syria, and Hamas equation • How U.S. politics around Israel are changing after October 7 • Iran's internal hardliner dynamics and the problem of Mujtaba • Patriot interceptor shortages and Ukraine's air defense crisis • Syria's opportunity to reduce reliance on Russian oil • Ralph's story behind a battle-worn Ukrainian flag Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Ryan introduces Glenn Corn and Ralph Goff • 00:51 Why Iran is the top U.S. priority right now • 02:14 Oil markets, Hormuz traffic, and Trump's leverage • 03:46 Does the U.S. still have leverage over Israel? • 06:00 Lebanon's opportunity and Hezbollah disarmament • 08:04 Ralph breaks down the Gaza disarmament problem • 09:21 What happens if there is no Gaza deal? • 11:21 Glenn on why Hezbollah will not disarm easily • 12:45 Turkey, Israel, Syria, Hamas, and the F-35 question • 15:19 AIPAC, U.S. politics, and changing Israel support • 17:29 Glenn on anti-Semitism, Israel criticism, and Kremlin influence • 19:23 Iran, U.S. stockpiles, and the next month of tensions • 21:33 Glenn warns against claims that U.S. arsenals are depleted • 23:02 Ukraine's air defense crisis and Patriot interceptor shortages • 24:24 Ukraine's strike on an Iranian cargo vessel in the Caspian • 25:18 Why producing Patriots under license is so complicated • 27:10 Is Mujtaba still alive? • 28:37 Syria, Russian oil, Iraq, and new energy routes • 31:31 Ralph explains the Ukrainian flag behind him About Ralph Goff Ralph Goff is a retired senior CIA operations officer and six-time Chief of Station. In the episode, Ryan describes his service across Europe, the Middle East, war zones, Central Asia, and South Asia, as well as his post-retirement public speaking and commentary on Russia, Ukraine, and national security. How to find Glenn Corn Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/). Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/
Aug 3

The Four Ways Putin Leaves Office from 40-Year Senior CIA Russia Analyst Peter Clement and CIA CoS Glenn Corn

Putin's eventual exit could trigger a managed succession, an internal coup, or a dangerous struggle for power inside the Kremlin. This episode brought to by you by Larineco. Larineco is offering our listeners up to 50% off at buylarine.com/RESTRICTED. Glenn and I love it and it helps the show (and your teeth)...please try some! 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more What happens to Russia after Vladimir Putin? Peter Clement, a former senior CIA Russia analyst and Columbia University professor, joins Ryan and Glenn to examine the scenarios that could shape post-Putin Russia. Peter spent more than 40 years at the CIA, including as a Soviet and Russian analyst, PDB briefer, and deputy assistant director for Europe and Eurasia. He and Glenn also discuss their shared Bellport roots and decades studying Russia. In this episode, we cover: • The four major post-Putin succession scenarios • Why Putin is unlikely to manage his own retirement • How Putin's death could trigger Kremlin maneuvering • The difference between a soft coup and a hard coup • What the Prigozhin mutiny revealed about Putin's system • Whether Russia could experience a gradual "deputinization" • The real level of domestic pressure facing Putin • How Ukrainian strikes and economic pain could affect Russian politics • Why a mass popular revolt remains a low-probability scenario • The challenges facing CIA analysts trying to understand Russia • The risks and benefits of intelligence mission-center integration • Whether the United States should engage Putin's successor • Lessons from Reagan's engagement with Gorbachev • Why a ceasefire may give Russia time to rebuild • Why Putin's foreign policy may ultimately become a strategic defeat Peter Clement argues that a popular uprising is possible but unlikely, while internal pressure from the security services and political elite could become increasingly important as the war continues. The conversation also explores whether Putin's successor would continue his imperial ambitions or pursue a more pragmatic course. Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Peter Clement joins the Restricted Handling Podcast • 01:07 How Glenn and Peter connected through Bellport and Russia • 04:16 Why post-Putin succession planning matters • 08:16 The four scenarios for Putin's exit • 12:33 Kremlin maneuvering, Stalin, and the succession problem • 15:21 Patronage, younger elites, and the possibility of an internal coup • 17:26 Was the Prigozhin mutiny a coup attempt? • 19:26 Soft coups, hard coups, and removing Putin • 21:40 Larineco sponsor spot • 22:44 Putin's paranoia and the Kremlin "nest of vipers" • 24:14 Deputinization and Putin's potential legacy • 29:36 Ukrainian strikes and growing pressure inside Russia • 34:38 Could a mass revolt bring down the regime? • 38:01 The intelligence challenge of understanding modern Russia • 43:52 CIA analysts, operators, and mission-center integration • 48:35 Should the United States engage Putin's successor? • 50:50 Reagan, Gorbachev, and the value of personal diplomacy • 56:04 Which post-Putin scenario is most plausible? • 01:04:30 Iran, mobilization, and the pressure of a prolonged war • 01:08:58 Why Putin's foreign policy may become a strategic defeat • 01:10:08 Closing thoughts and how to follow Restricted Handling About Peter Clement Peter Clement spent more than 40 years at the CIA as a Soviet and Russian analyst, PDB briefer, and deputy assistant director for Europe and Eurasia. He received the CIA's Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal and is now a professor at Columbia University. He is also working on a forthcoming Cypher Brief book about CIA analysts and has written on Russian succession scenarios and Putin's nuclear calculus. How to find Glenn Corn Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/). Learn more at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/

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out of 5

3 Ratings

Creator

Ryan Fugit
Years Active

2026
Episodes

41
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Restricted Handling Podcast

Restricted Handling Podcast

Episodes

Who Is Running Iran w/ Iran Expert Alex Vatanka Plus Nukes, Is Mojtaba Alive, What Trump Should Do

TOPGUN Instructor on Iran, Drones, Why We Can't Eliminate the threat from Iran and the Future of Air War w/ Dave Berke

North Korea Has More Leverage Than Before, Kim Jong Un on Russia, China, Trump w/ Expert Rachel Lee

CIA Director Warns Putin | Glenn Corn's Perspective from the Region | Retired CIA Case Officer/CoS

Russia's Pressure Campaign and Armenia's Pivot To U.S. Strategic Partnership and TRIPP Commerce

What Putin Needs to End the War, Hellfires in the Gulf, IRGC Commander Propaganda, Kushner/Witkoff Advice

US-Iran-Israel-Lebanon Negotiations and Will Hezbollah or Hamas Disarm w/ Senior CIA Officers (ret) Glenn Corn and Ralph Goff

The Four Ways Putin Leaves Office from 40-Year Senior CIA Russia Analyst Peter Clement and CIA CoS Glenn Corn

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