It's Wednesday, the second of September. 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, the conflict with Iran flares up yet again, as the US and Iran exchange a new round of strikes, and President Trump warns that something much larger could follow. Later in the show, Germany formally accuses Russia of targeting a Ukrainian cargo plane with explosive laden drones on German soil, and Berlin is already retaliating. Plus, Mexican cartels are increasingly deploying car bombs, explosive drones, and landmines, as their war against the country's security forces grows more militarized. Now, is it just me? Or does it seem like 2026 is turning into a fairly sizable goat rope? And in today's back of the brief, another senior Pentagon official makes for the exit, as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after clashing with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. But first of today's PDB spotlight. The rinse wash repeat cycle of strikes between the US and Iran continues. The latest round began Tuesday afternoon, following limited exchanges of missiles and drones on Sunday, when American forces launched a broader attack against Iran. Tehran answered several hours later with missiles and drones of its own. The exchange marks the decisive end of a month-long pause in direct fighting, and returns a conflict to the dangerous pattern that has defined much of the past six months. Let's begin with what we know about the American operation. The US Central Command says the strikes began at noon eastern on Tuesday, and targeted forces belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that, of course, would be the IRGC because, you know, the regime does love acronyms as much as anyone. St. Gham says the operation was launched in response to attempted Iranian attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members deployed across the region. Iranian media reported explosions near Kashm Island, which sits inside the Strait of Hormuz, and has become central to the regime's campaign to control traffic through the waterway. Explosions were also reported around Banda Arbas, the headquarters of Iran's conventional navy, such as it is, and a major hub for the Revolutionary Guard's maritime forces. President Trump says American forces specifically targeted Iranian radar systems. He told Fox News that the regime had been attempting to restore radar capabilities previously destroyed by the US. Trump said, "We waited until it was almost built, and then we hit it." End quote. That detail provides the clearest indication of what Washington was trying to accomplish. Iran relies, of course, on radars and coastal surveillance systems to monitor ships entering the Strait, coordinate its missile-and-drone forces, and track American military activity in the region. By destroying those systems, Washington is attempting to keep Iran partially blind, and make it more difficult for the regime to threaten commercial vessels using the waterway. As we reported yesterday on the PDB, American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Lyric Island on Sunday, after sent-coms at the Revolutionary Guard were preparing to fire rockets, carrying additional naval mines into the Strait. Iran, responded by launching eight missiles toward American positions in Jordan, and all eight were reportedly intercepted. The UAE also says that it intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters. And then late Monday, two supertakers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unidentified projectiles minutes apart while leaving the Strait of Hormuz. Each tanker was carrying approximately two million barrels of crude. Their crews were reported safe, and neither vessels suffered significant damage. Now, no one has claimed responsibility, and neither Washington nor Riyadh has publicly identified the attacker. Well, how about that, if only we had a clue as to who might have fired missiles or drones and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, who could it be. Chop made it clear on Monday that another American response was coming, and Tuesday's barrage was that response. Several hours later, Iran fired back again. The Associated Press reports that Tehran launched missiles and drones in retaliation for the American strikes. Air raid sirens were activated in several areas of Jordan, but at the time of this recording, there were no verifiable details on the scope and scale of Iran's response, nor specifically what facilities were targeted. The Revolutionary Guard also claims it shot down another American MQ-9 reaper drone, and the US has not confirmed that claim. Before Iran retaliated, Trump warned that any response would result in the country being hit again at what he called a "much harder and higher level" end quote. He added that an even larger attack was "waiting in the wings," and warned that when it was over, very little would remain of the Islamic Republic. Iran, well, responded anyway. The renewed fighting is also closing the door on what little diplomatic effort remained. Was there any remaining? Only hours before Tuesday's American strikes, Iran and President Masood Paseşkin, for his own reasons, offered to return to the memorandum of understanding or misunderstanding that Tehran and Washington reached back in June. That agreement called for an immediate ceasefire and 60 days of negotiations that, of course, didn't happen. Iran had agreed to clear minds from Hormuz and permit ships to pass, while Washington agreed to end its blockade, ease sanctions, and allow Iranian oil exports to resume. Iran, as you may recall, failed to reopen the strait, failed to clear any minds, and simply used the pause to rebuild damage facilities, and move their own oil tankers through the strait. Paseşkin said that if the US returned to its commitments, Iran would immediately do the same. But Trump dismissed that possibility. He told Fox News that an agreement with the Iranian regime is not worth quote the paper it's written on. Adding that Washington had already given the Iranian regime plenty of chances. Now, while the Iranian President, who may or may not have any authority within the regime, Paseips' service to diplomacy, Iran's revolutionary guard corps, which appears to be the primary decision-maker within the regime, continues attacking American forces and threatening commercial shipping. And that the center of it all remains the strait of Hormuz. Now, it doesn't seem that long ago, when this whole conflict was supposedly about preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon. But really, since the start and up until today, it's been all about the strait of Hormuz. Iran says that if it can't export oil from the Persian Gulf, no one else will be allowed to export oil either. Commercial traffic to the strait has fallen to a fraction of its normal level, and the latest tanker attacks have made an already dangerous route even harder to ensure and navigate. Oil prices are climbing again as markets consider the possibility of a sustained military campaign. The Iranian regime, whomever is in charge, seems content to maintain an aggressive posture, with no sign of compromise or caving into Washington's demands. They appear to believe that they can wait out President Trump, likely believing that the domestic U.S. political pressure, gas prices, and the general mood of the American people will force the White House to give in and make concessions. The White House, at the same time, believes that they can maintain the economic pressure and carry out targeted military strikes, stopping just short of a return to full-on war, for long enough that the regime will either collapse or the leadership will compromise, out of a combination of self-interest and survival instincts. It is the classic definition of a staring contest. All right, coming up next, Germany retaliates after blaming Russia for targeting a Ukrainian cargo plane with explosive drones. And Mexican cartels escalate their violence with car bombs and landmines. 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 Modafinal drink that can keep you energized, focused, and alert. That sounds good, doesn't it? Here's the deal. Caffeine energy drinks. They block something called adenosine. All right, that's the chemical that makes you tired. 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[email protected]. You got to see their website for important safety information. And I want to thank mod for sponsoring the PDB. Welcome back to the PDB. I've been talking quite a bit lately about Russia's shadow war against the European Union. Well, Germany has now taken that confrontation another step forward. Berlin is putting the blame on the Kremlin for a drone incursion last month on German territory as suspected sabotage its Germany's power grid as well as a Polish drone factory supplying Ukraine. Now some of you
UPDB listeners may remember the drone incident at Leapsick-Hala airport on 4 August. Three drones were spotted around the airport, two carrying explosives, with one found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane used to transport munitions. That last detail is important considering how much of Russia's hybrid campaign is focused on disrupting the infrastructure, helping keep Ukraine in the fight. But Berlin isn't blaming Moscow simply because of Ukrainian military transport happened to be nearby. Germany's interior minister says investigators examined the drone's configuration, components, explosives and cyber technology involved. Taken together he says Berlin recognized the same engineering that it's seen in other Russian hybrid operations and Moscow's war against Ukraine. His conclusion was unusually direct, quote, "the government as therefore concluded that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leapsick." The Kremlin predictably this is no shock as dismiss the accusation as a "fabricated provocation." Nothing to see here, we're all about peace. But Berlin isn't just pointing the finger, issuing a hardly worded memo and moving on. In this case, Germany is retaliating. The country's foreign minister says Berlin will close Russia's consulate and bond on September 18th. Titan entry restrictions for Russian nationals and terminate the agreement, governing the Russia House in Berlin, that's a Russian cultural center, suspected of serving as an espionage hub. Berlin also wants the EU to sanction additional Russians connected to hybrid attacks and increase pressure on Moscow's shadow fleet. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Ireland today, with European Commission President Ursula Van der Leyen, saying the blocs foreign ministers will take up additional sanctions. What's unusual here is how definitively Germany is assigning responsibility and immediately imposing consequences. And under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has described Germany as neither at war nor at peace with Russia, that represents another hardening of Berlin's approach toward Moscow. But what was happening elsewhere in Germany makes us even more concerning. Authorities were dealing with another apparent act of sabotage, this time targeting Germany's power grid. Officials in the eastern state of Brandenburg say especially designed rockets, carrying conductive material, were fired into extra-high voltage power lines, causing two short circuits. Investigators found that a debris of numerous explosive devices and officials say setting up an attack like this would have required significant work. There was a brief outage as a result of the incident, but the broader electricity supply was never disrupted. Investigators are considering both foreign involvement and possible domestic extremists, including left-wing activists who've previously targeted power infrastructure. And then, well, there's Poland. Early Monday, a fire broke out at a drone production facility owned by a Polish manufacturer. Those drones are used by the Ukrainian military, and Polish officials believe the fire was deliberately set, yet you might not have to be close so to come up with that possibility. Poland's interior minister says, "Everything indicates that we were dealing with an act of sabotage." The fire caused an estimated $4 million in damage, and prosecutors are investigating whether foreign intelligence services were involved. Poland, for now, has not publicly blamed Russia, but the incidents are unfolding against a much larger campaign of "hybrid warfare" that European governments say Russia has been waging across the continent. And there's a reason this kind of warfare is so useful to the Kremlin. Directly attacking the NATO countries, of course, supplying Ukraine would risk a confrontation with an alliance that is far more powerful than Moscow. Hybrid warfare gives the Kremlin another option. Disrupt Ukraine's supply lines damage the industries, supporting its war effort, and forced NATO governments to spend more resources defending themselves, all while preserving the somewhat ridiculous facade of whose responsible, implausible, deniability for morons. OK, I want to shift now to Mexico, as some of the country's drug cartels are increasingly using the kinds of weapons and tactics that you'd expect from an insurgency. What happens Sunday in the central state of Zagatekis provides a clear example. A suspected car bomb detonated outside police headquarters in the town of Orocaliente. After authorities, say the vehicle had been abandoned there. The blast injured at least 11 people, including two police officers, and damaged roughly 40 buildings. Initial reports suggest a cartel planted the bomb in retaliation for the arrest of one of its members just a day earlier. And state officials say this wasn't an isolated bombing. It's the latest example of Mexican cartels increasingly turning to explosives as part of the way they operate their methodology. Governor of Zagatekis, David Monroe, says Sunday's explosion follows nearly a dozen similar incidents, including attacks involving small drones loaded with explosives and land mines. Zagatekis recorded only one such attack in 2024, but that number jumped to six last year and so far this year authorities have already counted ten. Other violence-plague states, including neighboring Michoacán, have seen cartels and criminal groups use explosives against communities, law enforcement, and security facilities. As Monreal put it, quote, "organized crime is evolving. I don't understand why people aren't grasping the full extent of what's happening in the country," end quote. And while local officials now openly warning about that evolution, Mexico's central government has not commented on this latest rise in violence and the evolving attack methodologies being used by the cartels. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Army Secretary Dan Triscoll resigns following months of reported friction and tension with the U.S. Secretary of War beat Hegseth, primarily over military readiness and modernization. More on that when we come back. Now we've all heard those radio ads about the IRS, you know what I'm talking about, they tell you to be afraid and they try to frighten you into calling. Well, tax relief advocates is different. If you will money to the IRS, whether it's $5,000 or $50,000 or $500,000, hopefully it's not that. TRA has a solution to your tax problem. Look, don't lose hope, TRA could reduce or even eliminate what you owe to the IRS. Their passion is taxes and helping individuals and businesses fix their IRS problems. 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Well you should be, go to mudwater.com/PDB and grab the starter kit. Use code PDB and you'll get 43% off. The drink for author that comes with it alone is worth it, right? That's right. Up to 43% off with code PDB at mudwater.com. Let me spell that for you, m-u-d-w-t-r mudwater.com. After you purchase, they'll ask how you heard about them and if you don't mind, do me a favor. Tell them the PDB sent you. In today's back of the brief, the US Army is losing its top civilian leader in the middle of a war and amid an increasingly public power struggle inside the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation after just 18 months on the job. President Trump accepted it Monday evening. Now the White House didn't provide an official reason for Driscoll's departure, instead praising his leadership during military operations. His focus on readiness and his unusual role in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. But according to multiple reports, Driscoll's resignation follows months of tension with Secretary of Warpedeig Seth over the Army's leadership and the direction of its modernization efforts. Driscoll came into the Pentagon promising to make the Army faster, cheaper, and better prepared for a battlefield increasingly dominated by drones. In a rock-war veteran and former technology investor, he pushed the Army to purchase inexpensive weapons more quickly, expanded its drone and counter-drone capabilities, and reduced its dependence on major defense contractors. He once accused America's largest military suppliers of having, quote, "conned the American people" and the Pentagon and the Army. In April, Hegseth abruptly fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, who had worked closely with Driscoll on the Army's transformation. Driscoll later told Congress that he had not been told why George was removed and that his family drove to the General's home afterwards to give him a hug while that's nice. Hegseth also removed the commander of Army forces in Europe and Africa and reportedly blocked the promotions of several senior Army officers. More recently, the Army's acting Chief of Staff ordered a unit in Europe to abandon an experimental program that allowed soldiers to build their own drones and return to its traditional infantry role. Risco reportedly raised concern.
with the administration that those decisions were interfering with army modernization and readiness. Rortis reports that Hegg said that viewed Driscoll as a threat inside the Pentagon and had wanted him removed for some time. Driscoll's friendship with Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly made that more difficult. Well, now he's leaving anyway, and another senior army official focused on innovation is reportedly expected to follow him. Now, the army already lacks a Senate confirmed chief of staff. It will now also lose its Senate confirmed secretary, while American soldiers remain deployed across the Middle East, and the service races to adapt to the lessons emerging from Ukraine. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Wednesday, the second of September. If you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, just reach out to me at
[email protected]. And I hope you'll take a moment to stop by our YouTube channel. Oddly enough, you can find that on YouTube, just search up at president's daily brief. And if you like what you see, well, consider hitting that subscribe button. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the pdb afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.
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