In this episode, I take you through the gripping and brutal nine-month battle for Mosul, one of the most intense urban warfare campaigns in modern history. You’ll hear how Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, fought street by street, building by building, to reclaim Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS. From the initial assault to the desperate final stand in Mosul’s Old City, this episode captures the strategy, chaos, and human cost of a battle that reshaped the war against ISIS.

Beyond the combat, we’ll explore the aftermath—how the victory shattered ISIS’s territorial ambitions but left Mosul in ruins, setting the stage for a long and difficult recovery. What were the key lessons from this battle? How did it redefine modern urban warfare? And what does Mosul’s destruction mean for the future of counterinsurgency? Tune in to find out.