September 7th, 2026: Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at U.S. Warships & & Trump Envoys Meet Putin

It's Monday, the 7th of September, and welcome to the president's daily brief. I'm Mike Baker from your eyes and ears on the world stage. Alright, let's get briefed. First up, just in case you thought the war with Iran was over, well, no, it's not. The Iranian regime fired ballistic missiles at two US warships, and the US responded by taking out three Iranian oil tankers. It may not be full-on, all-out, kinetic action, but the missiles and drones are still flying and the regime is showing no indication that it's looking to compromise or make concessions. Later in the show, President Trump's envoys are making another push to end the war in Ukraine, traveling to Kiev after a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Back in the Middle East, Yemen's Iranian-backed khutis are trying to capture territory near a strategic red sea straight. And in today's back of the brief, if you're in the market for a London pen house, well, two posh properties with charming views of Kensington Palace are now up for sale. The only catch, well, they're linked to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtabah Hamani, wherever he may be. But first, today's PDB spotlight. This weekend marked a major escalation in the war between the US and Iran, with Tecron firing ballistic missiles at two American warships, including an aircraft carrier and Washington responding with attacks on three Iranian oil tankers. The confrontation began Saturday when Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, launched multiple ballistic missiles toward a US aircraft carrier and an American guided missile destroyer operating in the region. Now Iran claims those missiles struck both ships and forced them to retreat. The US military says, "That's false." According to Central Command, both American vessels successfully evaded the incoming missiles and no US personnel were injured. The regime targeted two of the most valuable assets in the US Navy, including the aircraft carrier carrying thousands of American military personnel. Washington responded with an hours, Central Command announced attacks against three Iranian crude oil carriers, that it says were part of the shadow fleet used to finance the IRGC and its proxy forces. Two of the tankers, the Downey and the Stark One, were permanently disabled. A third vessel, the Kylo, also known as the Noxon, was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman, after its crew was ordered to abandon ship. Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper warned that US forces remained capable of destroying more of Iran's exposed oil fleet if Tehran continues targeting American forces. Now one of the strikes also took place near Carga Island, that's the center of Iran's oil export infrastructure and a location that's repeatedly surfaced as a potential target throughout the war. Before the start of this conflict earlier this year, roughly 90% of Iran's crude exports moved through Carga Island. The Trump administration has so far stopped short of launching the kind of large-scale attack that could shut the island down entirely, but the US military strike against an Iranian tanker operating nearby brings the fighting another step closer to the economic heart of the regime. Iran responded by threatening to widen the maritime confrontation. The Revolutionary Guard claimed to attack several additional oil tankers, including vessels traveling through routes that the regime considers unauthorized. Those claims have not been independently confirmed, but Iran's warning to commercial shipping was clear, vessels using transit routes supported by the US could become targets. That threat fits into a struggle that's obviously been underway for months. Washington is trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping, while was stricting Iran's ability to export its own oil. Tehran is trying to prove that the US can't protect commercial traffic through the Strait while strangling Iran's economy at the same time. But what changed this weekend is how far both sides now appear willing to go in that fight. Iran is no longer limiting its attacks to commercial vessels or attempting to harass American forces around the margins. It fired ballistic missiles directly at US warships. The US responded not with another isolated tanker strike, but by attacking three Iranian vessels in a single operation and publicly threatening the rest of Tehran's oil fleet. And the confrontation continued on Sunday, Iran claimed its forces struck an unmanned American military vessel attempting to enter an area of the Strait that Tehran considers restricted. The US military rejected that account, calling the Iranian claim false. The Iranian leaders, however, are promising that the next response will be even more severe. Parliament Speaker Muhammad Bakker-Ghalibat declared that the rules of the conflict have changed, and warned that future attacks against Iranian interests will bring what he described as a faster, heavier, and more painful response. Now all of this comes as Iran faces mounting economic pressure. That's something we've been tracking closely here on the PDB. Oil exports remain constrained, inflation, and unemployment are causing growing problems domestically. And Iranian officials have created what they're now calling an "economic war headquarters" to deal with the economic effects of the conflict. At the same time, the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz continues to push costs higher, far beyond Iran. Oil prices climbed sharply last week, with Brent Crude finishing Friday above $96 barrel, while US diesel prices have reached record levels. And much of this weekend's escalation occurred while global markets were closed. So, one trading resumes, we may get another indication of just how seriously markets view the risk of an even wider confrontation in the Strait. Alright, coming up next, Steve Whitgolf and Jared Kushner pursue a Ukrainian peace deal after talks with Putin. When Iranian-backed Khuti fighters pushed toward a strategic red-sea choke point, looking to claim more territory from the Saudi-backed government troops, I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment to talk about good health and taking care of yourself. Look, when it comes to taking care of your health, the liver and cholesterol, cholesterol levels are key concerns, but many people hesitate when they're told they may need to take traditional therapies long-term. If you're like me, you want to feel like you still have some say in how to manage your health. Well, that's why people are turning to simpler alternatives, with ingredients they recognize like co-Q10 or ginger, pomegranate, namla. One great option that I want to tell you about is dose for cholesterol. Dose for cholesterol is a clinically-backed cholesterol support supplement designed to support triglycerides, HDL and total cholesterol levels. What I like is that me and people on my team have been using dose and have been encouraged by what we've seen in the blood work. By the way, I only talk about products on the show that I and people around me genuinely use. Dose is also incredibly easy to work into your routine. It's a daily two-ounce liquid shot, but by the way, it tastes delicious. It's like a mango citrusy taste. There's no capsules, no powders, and it gets delivered right to your door, making it super simple. New customers can save 35% on your first month of subscription by going to dose daily.co/pdb Before entering pdb, check out that's Dose, D-O-S-E, just like it sounds, dose daily.co/pdb, but 35% off your first month subscription. Welcome back to the pdb. The job administration is making another push at ending the war in Ukraine. After spending three hours behind closed doors with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, administration on voice traveled to Kiev for talks with President Zelensky. The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Steve Whitkov on Sunday sat down with Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials, marking their first negotiating visit to the Ukrainian capital that's the first visit in over four years. Both men have made several trips to Moscow as part of US peace efforts, but until now neither had made that same trip to Kiev as an American negotiator. Trump suggested Friday that the US has a fresh proposal for ending the war, telling Reuters in the Oval Office quote, "We have an idea for peace." Of course, Trump did not elaborate on what that proposal actually contains, so we don't know what's new about it, or what Washington is now asking either side to accept. Previous American efforts have focused on bridging the divide over territory, and Ukraine's long-term security, including discussions of ceasefire, security guarantees for Kiev, and possible arrangements for disputed territory in the Donbass. And that Trump's new proposal changes any of that remains unclear at this point. A head of their Sunday arrival, Zelensky met with his negotiating team and said Ukraine had drawn up proposals of its own. He did not publicly spell out the full contents of those proposals. In a post on social media, he wrote quote, "security guarantees are needed, a dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up." Zelensky believes Washington will be critical to any eventual agreement, and he said there is now a window of opportunity to make peace before the U.S. begins turning its attention toward the next presidential election. The first round of talks lasted about three hours. Whitcalf emerged sounding encouraged, describing the discussions as "substantive" and "important" additional talks involving European representation. representatives planned for later in the day. But holding talks is one thing, finding an agreement that both sides will actually accept as another. Yes, thank you. That is quite the statement of the obvious. Nowhere is that divide clearer than in the Donbass. Russia is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from a heavily fortified belt of towns that it still controls in the east. Putin has spent four years, plus not backing off from his maximalist demands, and the Donbass is one of his key demands. Kiev has refused, arguing that its military can continue defending those positions, and that giving them up would hand Moscow territory that Russian forces have so far been unable to capture on the battlefield. But for Ukraine, this isn't only about territory. That's where those security guarantees Zelensky mentioned become so important. Kiev wants firm commitments from the U.S. and Europe, designed to deter Russia from regrouping and invading again sometime later. Now let's go back to Saturday because what Kushner and Witkov heard from Putin in Moscow helps explain why finding that middle ground remains so difficult. The two envoys spent more than three hours behind closed doors with the Russian president. The Kremlin called those talks, quote, "highly useful," while the White House described them as "substantive," there's that word again. But neither side announced a breakthrough. According to Kremlin aid, Yuriy Ushkov, the Americans presented Putin with, quote, "a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement," end quote. Ushkov did not disclose what those ideas were. Putin meanwhile used the meeting to reiterate Russia's longstanding position. The Kremlin reports that he told Trump's on-voys that Russian forces are making, quote, "real progress," oh really, on the battlefield, and remain confident they can achieve Moscow's objectives. He also insisted that any peace agreement address what Russia calls "all the root causes of the conflict," while the top root cause would be Putin invaded Ukraine. Language Moscow has repeatedly used since Putin launched a full scale invasion back in 2022. Now, the frontlines remain largely static, even as both Russia and Ukraine have intensified their long-range strikes in recent weeks. Still, Putin appears to believe that time is on his side. A person close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin remains intent on capturing the rest of the Donetsk region, still held by Ukraine, and believes, based on reports from his commanders, their Russian forces can accomplish that by the end of the year. Of course, his commanders also told Putin four years ago that this invasion would be over in a matter of weeks. And despite the Kremlin describing Saturday's talks as useful, there is still no indication that Putin has abandoned his demands that have derailed previous attempts at diplomacy. Still, Putin had some praise for this latest push from Washington, saying Trump "does not stop as efforts to help bring about a settlement." All right, turning now to Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthis are making a dangerous new push toward the Red Sea, and the territory they're fighting for could spell trouble for global shipping. Well, more trouble for global shipping. More than 60 people were killed Saturday as the Houthis battled forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government in some of the deadliest ground fighting the country has seen in years. For some background, the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government have been at war since 2014, when the Iran-backed rebels seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in an effort to restore the internationally-recognized government. A fragile peace had largely held since the truce was reached back in 2022, with the Houthis using that period to entrench their control over northern Yemen. Some of you may even remember our coverage of when that ceasefire collapsed in July, but even then, the renewed fighting was mostly confined to missiles and drones. Now, major ground battles have returned. The fiercest fighting is taking place around western Tais in southwestern Yemen, where government officials say the Houthis have already captured new positions. One Yemeni military officer warned that what unfolds now will be decisive. But it's what the Houthis appear to be headed next that makes this particularly important. An officer with Yemen's government forces believes the militias' moves around Tais are a part of an effort to reach the port city of Moka. Now another security official who spoke with the New York Times says Houthi forces are already trying to cut supply lines, rather leading to Moka in preparation for a possible push. Moka is currently controlled by a commander allied with Yemen's internationally-recognized government. More importantly, it sits less than 50 miles from the Babelman Deb Strait, as the narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. If the Houthis can gain territory around Moka, it could become much easier for the militia to threaten and attack ships entering and leaving the Red Sea through that choke point. The Houthis, for their part, are trying to downplay what's happening. A Houthi political official described the fighting as, quote, "nothing more than skirmishes and clashes," insisting the group is focused on confronting Saudi Arabia rather than expanding its fight against Yemen's government. But what's happening on the ground suggests something considerably more serious. Saudi Arabia has now intervened directly from the air with Yemeni military officials saying Saudi forces launched three airstrikes against positions recently captured by the Houthis in Tais. This is also where the fighting inside Yemen begins to "connect" to the much bigger story unfolding in the Red Sea. In July, the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi oil tankers traveling through the waterway and began launching missiles and drones against passing ships and Saudi facilities. That threat matters even more right now because Saudi Arabia is already facing serious problems along its other major oil export routes, that of course would be the Strait of Hormuz. That's forced the Saudis, the world's largest oil exporting country, to rely more on the Red Sea for its exports. So you ask why are the Houthis making this push now? Well, Iran is certainly part of the calculation, but the militia also has its own interests. The Houthis are trying to consolidate more territory inside Yemen, strengthen their position after years of political stalemate and secure access to the country's oil resources. Houthis insist their attacks are preemptive, accusing Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government of amassing forces for their own ground offensive. Whatever their motivation, the battlefield is now moving closer to a maritime choke point that's become increasingly important to the global economy. Alright, coming up in the back of the brief, two luxury London pen houses linked to Iran's Supreme Leader are up for sale after sanctions hit their registered owner, one of the Furniture conveys. More on that, when we come back. The president's daily brief is brought to you by Maud. Maud prescribes a once or twice daily and a daffinil drink that can keep you energized, focused and alert, that all sounds very good. Here's the deal, caffeine energy drinks, block what's known as adenosine. It's the chemical that makes you tired. It builds up and when caffeine wears off, well, there you go, there's the crash. Maud. Daffinil works differently. It engages pathways in your brain, dopamine, no repinephrine, histamine and erection, to achieve energy and alertness for 10 to 12 hours. Maud. Daffinil was invented in the 1970s, and since then, it's been used by soldiers and astronauts and pilots and anyone in high-stakes situations for concentration and alertness. Maud.com, that's Maud, M-O-D, Maud.com for a free consultation and get 10% off your first order plus free shipping with promo code PDB. That's promo code PDB at Maud.com. See their website for important safety information and I want to thank Maud for sponsoring the PDB. With a pro tip for everybody out there who loves delicious food, right, and there's a lot of us out there who love delicious food, have you heard of Gold Belly? Well, Gold Belly ships America's most iconic foods from legendary restaurants straight to your door anywhere in the USA. Seriously, it is that simple. Look, I've ordered all sorts of food from Gold Belly. Ribs, pulled pork, McCloon's lobster rolls from Maine, they're amazing, cupcakes, everything shows up fast, perfectly packed and absolutely delicious. It really is incredibly simple. Ordering is very easy. I've ordered from Gold Belly to feed folks at barbecues, game nights, poker evenings at the compound. The food's fantastic, everybody's happy, bobs your uncle. Gold Belly ships iconic Chicago deep dish from Lubanlades, New York cheesecake from juniors, Texas barbecue, and meals from chefs like Inaigarten and Jose Andres. So if you're looking for that perfect gift, what you want to impress your friends and family with an epic meal the next time you host, just go to goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code PDB. That's goldbelly.com code PDB for 20% off your first order. In today's back of the brief, Iran's supreme leader, Moshtab al-Khamenei, still remains out of sight, but his alleged overseas wealth and does not, it's somewhat visible. Two luxury penthouses linked to his financial network have hit the market in one of London's wealthiest neighborhoods. Wow, how about that? The apartments are at 3A, Palace Green, that is a nice area, an exclusive development overlooking Kensington Palace and in the shadows of the official London residents of the prints and princesses of Wales. Oh, hey, no, together they were purchased for nearly 50 million dollars. That's right. That's a hefty price tag, even for a supreme leader or son of a supreme leader with the ability to pill for untold millions meant for the Iranian people. So here's the interesting part aside from that steep price tag. find a harmonies name on the paperwork for either one. So, you say to yourself how are they connected to Iran's new Supreme Leader? Well, both penthouses are registered in the name of an Iranian banker named Ali Ansari. Now, Ansari isn't just some wealthy Iranian who happened to buy a couple of very expensive apartments. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, he's a "key financier" for the Supreme Leader, who previously, of course, was the son of a Supreme Leader. Washington sanctioned Ansari in July, accusing him of overseeing what it called a "sprawling global network of assets." The U.S. government isn't alleging how many simply wanted a couple of nice vacation apartments in London, although that is a nice idea. Treasury says Ansari was diverting the country's money into an enormous overseas portfolio of real estate and commercial holdings to enrich himself, harmonies in her circle, and the IRGC. "I know who would have guessed," I thought they were pure. In other words, properties like these offered a way to turn Iranian money into valuable assets in the West, all while keeping harmonies' name off the paperwork. And that helps explain why Washington is going after this network now. The Trump administration is trying to cut harmony in the regime's elite off from the wealth that they've parked overseas. When Treasury Secretary Scott Besan sanctioned Ansari in July, he said the U.S. intents to quote, "preserve these assets for the Iranian people." Britain has sanctioned Ansari as well. London accuses him of financing Iran's revolutionary guard corps of the IRGC. His British assets were frozen, and he's barred from entering the country, that seems reasonable. Ansari is understood to be denying any wrongdoing. Really, that's also shocking, so that creates an obvious problem. If Ansari is under sanctions, and his British assets are frozen, how are two of those properties now being put up for sale? I find question. It's not actually that the British government is seizing the penthouses and selling them off. Ansari reportedly defaulted on the mortgages, the private lenders, that finance the properties, then appointed receivers to recover what they're owed, and the British government is believed to have authorized the sales. So at the end of the day, look at that. The West may be the great Satan, according to the Mullahs and the leadership of the Iranian regime. I didn't keep the supreme leader in other elites from investing in some of Satan's poshest real estate. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief from Monday, the 7th of September. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And I hope you had the chance to check out our weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. Nine out of ten folks prefer the situation report over any other weekend news podcast. Great guest, terrific insight, no empty calories or aftertaste. Fine, I did make up the nine out of ten statistic. Regardless, I do hope you'll check it out. Just wander on over to YouTube and search up at President's Daily Brief. Also available wherever you get your podcast stuff, of course. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. [MUSIC]