EPISODE 04
Episode Overview
The Invisible Strike: Stuxnet, Operation Olympic Games, and the Covert War on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Air Date: 9.16.25 | Duration: 24:01 min.
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About Episode 04:
In one of the most gripping and high-stakes episodes to date, host Charles Denyer exposes the unprecedented covert cyber operation that changed the rules of warfare forever. “The Invisible Strike: Stuxnet, Operation Olympic Games, and the Covert War on Iran’s Nuclear Program” takes listeners deep into the classified world of state-sponsored cyber sabotage—an operation so sophisticated and secretive that it has never been officially acknowledged by the United States or Israel.
In one of the most gripping and high-stakes episodes to date, host Charles Denyer exposes the unprecedented covert cyber operation that changed the rules of warfare forever. “The Invisible Strike: Stuxnet, Operation Olympic Games, and the Covert War on Iran’s Nuclear Program” takes listeners deep into the classified world of state-sponsored cyber sabotage—an operation so sophisticated and secretive that it has never been officially acknowledged by the United States or Israel.
The story begins just after the 2008 U.S. presidential election, when President-elect Barack Obama is invited to a closed-door meeting with President George W. Bush. What he's told is nothing short of stunning: Iran is accelerating its nuclear program, and America—alongside Israel—has already begun a covert digital campaign to stop it. This operation has a name: Operation Olympic Games.
At the heart of this operation is Stuxnet, a digital weapon specifically engineered to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities. Denyer walks through the chilling details of how this invisible virus infiltrated one of the world’s most secure nuclear facilities—air-gapped and off the internet—by exploiting USB drives and insider movement. The result? Centrifuges spinning themselves to death, while systems reported “all clear.”
But this isn’t just a technical story. It’s a geopolitical thriller layered with presidential decisions, top-secret simulations, and explosive international consequences. The episode explores how Obama inherited and expanded the program, how the malware eventually leaked beyond Iranian borders, and how it ignited a global conversation about cyberwarfare, attribution, and retaliation.
Through detailed narrative, Denyer brings listeners face-to-face with the ethical dilemmas of cyber warfare. He examines Nitro Zeus, an even larger, never-deployed contingency plan designed to digitally paralyze Iran’s entire infrastructure. He unpacks Iran’s digital counterattacks, including the devastating Shamoon virus and retaliatory strikes on U.S. banks, revealing how cyber has become the new front line of global conflict.
This episode also delves into the leak investigations that rocked Washington, including the indictment—and eventual pardon—of General James Cartwright, a top military advisor accused of disclosing the operation. And it closes with the critical question: in a world without rules for cyber conflict, what happens when the next weapon targets your power grid, your hospitals, or your way of life?
Listen and Learn.
Packed with espionage, code warfare, political drama, and world-altering consequences, this episode explores how invisible threats can be just as destructive as bombs—and how cyber weapons have forever altered the global balance of power.
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Production Credits: This is a Charles Denyer Productions podcast. Hosted and produced by Charles Denyer.