Protect and Defend

Protect and Defend drops Mitch Rapp into a geopolitical crisis triggered by the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities, an act that pushes the region toward open conflict and leaves Washington bracing for retaliation. As the fallout spreads, CIA leaders know the most immediate threat is not only state-level escalation but the likelihood that Iran will use a proxy terrorist to strike back. That sets Rapp on a collision course with a veteran Hezbollah operative whose attack could ignite a far wider war.

What makes the premise especially strong is the way Vince Flynn fuses international brinkmanship with personal pursuit. This is not just a broad Middle East crisis novel. The suspense sharpens around the coming clash between Rapp and Imad Mukhtar, a long-feared terrorist figure tied to Iranian retaliation plans, giving the book both strategic scale and a focused manhunt core. Official descriptions emphasize that once Irene Kennedy’s diplomatic contact with Iran goes disastrously wrong, events accelerate fast, and Rapp is forced into action before political fallout becomes mass bloodshed.

Protect and Defend keeps the series in the high-stakes mode Vince Flynn was known for: covert action, Washington pressure, and the sense that formal diplomacy may be too slow for the danger already in motion. The premise is built around escalation, retaliation, and the fear that one covert strike can trigger consequences no government can fully control once the killing starts.

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