September 1st, 2026: U.S. Military Leaders Sound Alarm Over Iran & China Courts America’s Rivals

It's Tuesday, the 1st of September. Well, how about that? Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, top U.S. military leaders are pushing back on extended Iran deployments, warning the Secretary of Defense, or war, whichever, that the strain is spreading across the military force. I'll have the details. Later in the show, Russia and Iran rally with China and India at a major summit aimed at pushing back against U.S. global influence. Plus, Israel lands a record $3.5 billion with a B defense deal to build Greece, a massive shield against missile and aerial attacks. And in today's Back of the Brief, nearly a week after Nepal's deadly flood, rescue crews are now racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped deep inside mountain tunnels. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Six months into the war with Iran, some of America's most senior military commanders are warning that the conflict is beginning to take a serious toll on U.S. readiness around the world. According to new reporting from the Washington Post, those concerns were laid out in a classified Pentagon assessment that was prepared earlier this month for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The document reportedly includes input from the leaders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with the four-star commanders responsible for U.S. operations in Europe, the Pacific, and Latin America. Several of them formally objected to plans to keep supplying forces to the Middle East. The Pentagon term is, quote, non-concur. Now, that does not mean, that the commanders are refusing the order. It means they're putting their objections on the record before carrying out the orders. And according to one person familiar with the assessment, the overall message from military leadership is that the Iran operation has become, quote, too much for too long. More than 50,000 American troops remain on alert across the Middle East as President Trump continues pressing the Iranian regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington's conditions for ending the conflict. Now, being extended through the fall, while others could stretch into 2027. The problem is that many of the ships and aircraft and weapons supporting that mission were pulled from somewhere else, and the Navy appears to be feeling the strain most acutely. It's supplied dozens of vessels since the fighting began, first for strikes against Iran and defense against Iranian retaliation, and later to enforce the blockade of Iranian ports. Some crews have now spent months longer at sea than originally. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Darrell Caudill reportedly warned Hegseth that the Navy cannot sustain the current pace indefinitely, particularly when there's no clear end date for the operation. According to the Post, barely one quarter of the Navy's destroyer fleet is currently ready to deploy. That number matters because maintenance delayed today becomes a readiness problem tomorrow. Ships kept at sea longer require more time in port later. Crews need to recover, equipment needs repairs, and the pool of vessels available for the next emergency gets smaller. And it's already creating friction in the Pacific. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. forces in the region, reportedly objected to the continued transfer of naval forces to the Middle East, including a carrier strike group and destroyers. The Navy's only permanently forward-deployed carrier in the Pacific was sent toward the Middle East to relieve another carrier that had already been deployed for more than 300 days. For years, the Pentagon leadership has described China as America's primary military challenge, and they've built much of their strategy around deterring Beijing from moving against Taiwan or threatening U.S. allies in the region. But deterrence depends in part on having ships and aircraft and missiles positioned where an adversary expects them to be. And the strain extends well beyond the fleet. The Iran war has consumed large numbers of Patriot and THAAD air defense interceptors along with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Post reports that roughly 25 percent of the Pentagon's Reaper drone fleet has been lost during the conflict. And Patriot units are, of course, facing longer deployments. Some soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division could remain overseas for a full year. And Air Force units sent to conduct bombing missions and other round-the-clock operations may stay in the region into 2027. Commanders responsible for Europe and Latin America are also warning that sending ships and surveillance aircraft to the United States may not be possible. In fact, the US Army's aircraft to Central Command has reduced their ability to perform other missions. And some of those missions involve homeland defense. Now, none of this means that the Pentagon is somehow unable to fight. It means that commanders are increasingly worried about how much risk is accumulating outside the Middle East, while so much American combat power remains tied to Iran. And Iran has every reason to pay attention to this. Every month that the standoff continues, well, it forces Washington to do more. And it forces Washington to do more. And it forces Washington to spend more money, consume more interceptors, extend more deployments, and postpone more maintenance. Meanwhile, the US, of course, still has commitments in Europe and Asia and around the world. And that gives Tehran an incentive to drag things out. President Trump is trying to maintain enough military pressure to force Iran into concessions without committing the US to a larger war. But the longer the situation lasts, the more difficult that balance becomes. Pulling forces back would ease pressure on the military, but it would also ease pressure on the military. But it could also ease pressure on Tehran. And keeping them in place preserves leverage against Iran while steadily increasing the risks that commanders are warning about elsewhere. And after six months of war, well, those warnings are becoming harder for the White House to ignore. All right, coming up next, Russia and Iran deepen ties with China and India. And Greece turns to Israel for a $3.5 billion missile shield, give or take a few million. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, the President's Daily Brief is brought to you by Mod. Mod prescribes a once or twice daily modafinil drink that can keep you energized, focused, and alert. That sounds very good. 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America's biggest geopolitical rivals are rallying in Central Asia with the presidents of Russia and Iran meeting up with the leaders of China and India, all in an attempt to show Washington that years of pressure have failed to isolate them. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Mosud Bozeshkin arrived in Kyrgyzstan for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and you say to yourself, I'll bet there's an acronym for that, and you're right, it's SCO. Now, they're joining China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi, and leaders from across Central Asia. It's quite the cabal. And just looking around that room tells you a bit about what this summit has become. The SCO is a 10-nation political and security group that started with Russia, China, and four Central Asian countries before expanding to include India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. In the process, the SCO is the first to join China's Central Asian countries, and in the process, it's grown into what members hope is a counterweight to Western-led institutions. The SCO, heavily influenced by Beijing, offers countries like Russia and Iran a place to turn outside the American-led international order. Now, that's especially useful for Putin and Bozeshkin, whose regime's Washington has, of course, spent years trying to squeeze economically. Both have withstood that pressure longer than some Western officials expected, and a big reason why is sitting in the room with them. China has done more than any other country to sustain the Russian and Iranian economies through their wars, despite the CCP's protestations that China loves nothing more than peace and neutrality. Beijing is the biggest importer of Russian and Iranian crude oil, while also supplying Moscow with everything from consumer goods to critical electronic components that the Russian military needs to produce drones and other weapons. Not long after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Iran, of course, began supplying Russia with Shahed attack drones, and later helped Moscow establish facilities to produce them domestically. And other countries attending the SCO festivities have provided additional lifelines for Russia and Iran. Central Asian nations have become critical routes for Russia to import goods and move payments around sanctions, while Iran has turned to the region as an alternative import route under the U.S. blockade. India, meanwhile, became one of the world's biggest buyers of Russian oil after the invasion. dropped under pressure from President Trump and new U.S. sanctions, but the war with Iran disrupted global oil markets and pushed Indian buyers back toward Russian crude. Yet China remains the most important player. Last month, Xi brushed aside Trump's threat of a quote, economic D-Day against countries providing Iran an economic lifeline, while Beijing continues buying Iranian crude. Western sanctions have also made Putin increasingly dependent on China, while giving Beijing access to discounted Russian oil. You can see that changing balance just by looking at where this summit is taking place. Kyrgyzstan was once part of the Soviet Union and remained firmly inside Moscow's sphere of influence after its collapse. Now, as Russia has become increasingly isolated and dependent on Beijing, China has steadily expanded its influence on Russia. China has steadily expanded its influence on Russia. across Central Asia. It's important to note that the SCO is not some unified anti-American version of NATO. They're not quite unified. India and Pakistan are bitter rivals. India and China have long-standing tensions, and the countries gathered in Kyrgyzstan have very different interests. As an example, Putin met separately with India's Modi, who told him that India supports efforts to end the war in Ukraine, saying, quote, we need to move from endless war to the end of the end of hostilities, end quote. But Russia and Iran don't necessarily need everyone there to agree with them. Simply having the leaders in the same room helps Putin and Pozezhkin demonstrate that Western pressure has not left them alone. And for Xi, the gathering allows him to cast China as the leader of a non-Western alternative to institutions like the G7. As a reminder, in less than a month, Xi is expected to travel to Washington to meet with Trump as the U.S. and China to try to extend a fragile economic truce. All right, I want to shift now to a massive new defense deal in Europe, because one NATO member, that would be Greece, is spending three and a half billion dollars to build its own version of Israel's battle-tested missile defense network. Now, Athens and Jerusalem announced the agreement on Monday, and Israel is essentially being hired to build Greece an entirely new multi-layered air defense network known as the Achilles Shield. It's the largest defense agreement that the two countries have ever signed, and according to Israel's defense ministry, one of the largest export deals in the Jewish state's history. But I think the more interesting part of this story is what Greece is actually getting for all that money. Because Athens isn't simply buying a few Israeli missile systems and plugging them into its existing defenses. For the first time, Israel says it's exporting what it calls a, quote, complete defense array against a wide range of threats. That includes David Sling and Spider, both made by Rafael, along with Israel Aerospace Industries. But the missiles are only one part of it. Israel is also providing radars to spot and track incoming threats, and a command and control network. Throughout Israel's years of various multi-front wars, its military has repeatedly relied on layered air defenses against drones and missiles launched by Iran and its regional proxies. And countries around the world, of course, have been watching. I've discussed how Israel and others have already expressed interest in emulating parts of Israel's missile defense network. Greece is now taking advantage of Israel's experience and buying a battle-tested and proven layered defense system. But Israel's battlefield experience only explains why Greece wants Israeli technology. To understand why Athens is prepared to spend $3.5 billion on it, you also have to look at who sits next door. And that, of course, would be Turkey. For those of you unfamiliar, Greece and other allies, but they've spent decades at odds over territorial and maritime disputes in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Greece now spends over 3% of its economy on defense, and lately its long-standing rivalry with Turkey has started to overlap with Israel's own concerns about Ankara as it expands its regional influence, particularly in Syria. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz appeared to acknowledge that shared concern, saying Israel and Greece face, quote, shared regional challenges as actors with hegemonic ambitions try to expand their influence and undermine stability in the region, end quote. Now, to be fair, Katz didn't say Turkey by name, but the reference was fairly clear. Israel and Greece already operate a joint air training center on Greek territory, hold annual military exercises, and cooperate on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity. Just last year, Athens bought Israeli-made rocket artillery systems for roughly $740 million. Now, the relationship, of course, is getting substantially deeper. That's what happens when you give somebody $3.5 billion. You get an improved relationship. Israel's Defense Ministry director described growing Israeli defense exports as a, quote, key driver of IDF force buildup, Israel's foreign policy influence, and the strength of the country's defense industry and economy. In other words, Israel can take systems refined through years of real-world combat, sell them to allies abroad, and use those deals to strengthen both its own military and its strategic relationships. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, rescuers in Nepal are blasting through collapsed hydropower tunnels in a desperate search for hundreds of workers still missing after last week's catastrophic flood. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with a tip on how to jumpstart your day. 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In today's back of the brief, I wanted to give an update on the catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet. Now, we've been tracking here on the PDB. Rescue crews are now racing to reach hundreds of workers who may still be trapped deep underground. The disaster, of course, struck last Wednesday after a massive collapse high in the Himalayas sent ice, rock, and debris crashing into the river system below. According to the Associated Press, more than 950 people are now confirmed dead across Nepal and Tibet, while more than 4,400 others remain missing. But some of the most intense rescue efforts are now focused on the people in Nepal and Tibet. For example, the people in Nepal are now being forced to leave their homes and homes. The number of people who are left in the city is growing. The number of people who are left in the city is hundreds of feet inside. There was initially some reason for hope. Officials say some of the missing workers were able to make phone calls after the flooding began, suggesting that they had survived the initial disaster. But days have now passed without confirmed contact with many of them. Nepalese army engineers are using excavators and pumps and search equipment to clear the entrances. At some locations, they're using controlled explosions to blast through the debris. Teams from China, India, and South Korea are also assisting with the effort. Reuters reports that at the Upper Trishuli 3A project, engineers have been trying to penetrate a tunnel buried beneath roughly 50 feet of debris. The clock, obviously, is working against them. And we're also learning more about just how extraordinary the event itself was. Scientists believe part of the bedrock beneath a Himalayan glacier suddenly collapsed, bringing an enormous section of ice down with it. That collapse was so violent that seismic equipment initially registered what looked like an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey later determined the event generated seismic energy roughly equivalent to the amount of seismic energy that was generated by the into a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. That enormous mass of rock and ice then slammed into the river system, creating a wall of water and debris that tore through valleys downstream. At one monitoring station, the Trishuli River reportedly rose by roughly 27 feet in about 30 minutes. Bridges disappeared, roads were washed away, hydropower facilities were buried, entire communities were overwhelmed before many people had time to react. And there are also some remarkable stories of survival. At one school in Bodur, a principal received a warning that the flood was coming and had about 14 minutes to evacuate more than 900 students and faculty members. The last school bus made it across a bridge just before the flood arrived. That bridge later collapsed and the school itself was destroyed. So nearly a week after this disaster began, the rescue operation is far from over. Thousands remain missing and hundreds may still be trapped underground. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, the 1st of September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And finally, if you love the PDB and how could you not, well, hopefully, how could you not, but are thinking you'd like to try an ad-free version, well, we can make that happen. Just become a premium member of the PDB by simply visiting pdbpremium.com. Easy peasy, as the kids say. Actually, I don't know if the kids may have stopped saying that back in the 1950s. Anyway, I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.