The President's Daily Brief - August 21st, 2025: Israel Mobilizes To Conquer Gaza City & US Deals Deadly Blow To ISIS Leadership

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:    First—Israeli officials are preparing for their planned takeover of Gaza City, calling up 60,000 reservists for the effort, which aims to deal a death blow to Hamas. Later in the show—a coalition of reformers inside Iran are calling on the mullahs to suspend their uranium enrichment program and reach a deal with the U.S. to ease sanctions, as the country grapples with a deteriorating water crisis. Plus—a US-led ground raid in Syria kills a senior member of the Islamic State who was poised to become the terror group’s next leader. In our 'Back of the Brief—Israeli and Australian leaders are locked in an escalating and increasingly bitter public feud after Australia moved to recognize Palestinian statehood. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.   YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold TriTails Premium Beef: Don't Settle for shrink-wrapped "steak." Visit https://trybeef.com/PDB to get the real stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Israeli officials are preparing for their planned takeover of Gaza City, calling up 60,000 reservists for the effort, with the aim of dealing a death blow to Hamas. The offensive comes as Prime Minister Netanyahu, weighs a last-minute ceasefire proposal that could free half of the remaining living hostages in the enclave.

Later in the show, a coalition of reformers inside Iran are calling on the Mullahs to suspend their Iranian enrichment program and reach a deal with the U.S. to ease sanctions as the country grapples with a deteriorating water crisis. Now, who here thinks it's going to go well for those reformers inside Iran? Plus, a U.S.-led ground raid in Syria kills a senior member of ISIS who was poised to become the terror group's next leader. Finally, in today's back of the brief, Israeli and Australian leaders are beefen, trading increasingly personal barbs after Australia moved to recognize Palestinian statehood and barred a member Prime Minister Netanyahu's ruling coalition from entering the country. But first, today's PDB spotlight. The long-promised Israeli offensive on Gaza City is nearing kickoff, as Jerusalem calls up tens of

thousands of reservists for the effort. But Prime Minister Netanyahu now faces a defining choice. Move forward with the assault or shelved it in favor of a ceasefire with Hamas that would free half the living hostages, a decision that could fracture his coalition and, of course, would leave Hamas still functioning and in place. And Israeli military officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with protocol, said Wednesday that IDF troops reached the city's outskirts and were preparing civilians for mass evacuations. Tents were already being erected in southern Gaza to receive those displaced. Hours later, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called on idea of forces to, quote,

use all tools and all power to strike the enemy until it is subdued, end quote. The looming offensive, part of Operation Gideon's chariots, would mark Israel's most ambitious advance into Gaza city since Hamas started this conflict nearly two years ago. Israeli officials say the campaign will unfold in phases, the first being the encirclement of the city to cut off Hamas' escape routes, then funneling civilians through checkpoints to keep fighters from entering placement areas, and finally deploying five IDF divisions for a targeted incursion. To sustain it, 60,000 reservists will be called up in September, bringing the total mobilization to some 130,000, with many backfilling active duty soldiers.

soldiers heading to the front. Yet such an operation would be barred under the last-minute 60-day ceasefire plan, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, and reportedly accepted by Hamas this week. That framework envisions the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and terrorists, along with a partial Israeli withdrawal and a surge of humanitarian aid. Currently, 20 hostages are still thought to be alive, with the bodies of 30 others also held in Gaza. As we've discussed, if those terms sound familiar, that's because they resemble an earlier U.S.-backed proposal

that the Trump administration endorsed in July. But those talks collapsed, and Netanyahu has yet to declare his stance on this new offer. Hardliners in Netanyahu's coalition have already branded it a, quote, partial arrangement that would leave Hamas intact. Minister Orit-Strake warned Netanyahu against prioritizing hostages over, quote, the national interest, threatening to depart from the government if he signs off. Hostage families, meanwhile, accused the government of, quote, torpedoing negotiations by massing

troops while a deal sits on the table. Their demands for meetings with Defense Minister Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Ayal-Zamir come as massive protests, recently engulfed Israeli cities, with demonstrators urging Netanyahu to cut a hostage deal immediately. Abroad, opposition has also grown. French President Emmanuel Macron warned yesterday that the potential campaign, quote, can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war, end quote. Well, apparently Macron is unaware that the region actually has been in the cycle of permanent war for a very, very long time. The International Committee of the Red Cross similarly cautioned that an assault would, quote, risk worsening an already

a catastrophic situation for Gaza's some two million residents. But Israeli officials counter that if the operation is approved, humanitarian corridors will actually expand. U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has thrown his support behind the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's plans to quadruple aid sites from 4 to 16, with new safe routes for trucks and checkpoints to shield relief flows from combat zones. As Netanyahu weighs his options, the IDF continues to rack up battlefield gains elsewhere in the strip. Officials confirmed this week that an airstrike at the beginning of August killed the Hamas terrorist

accused of abducting Israeli hostage Yardin Bibas during the 7 October 23 terror attacks. This air strike is significant as Bibas spent 480 days in Hamas captivity before his release, said that terrorists' death brought, quote, a small part of my close. As long-time PDB listeners may recall, Hamas murdered Bibas' wife and two young children while in captivity, their plight immortalized in a propaganda hostage video from the terror group that became one of the more searing images of the war. So with Hamas dug into Gaza City's last readouts and the fate of the hostages in the balance,

Netanyahu faces a defining choice, except a fragile truce that leaves the Iranian-backed terror group in place, or press forward with an offensive, as coalition argues, is the only path to crushing Hamas once and for all. All right, and coming up after the break, a coalition of reformers inside Iran are calling on the Mullahs to suspend their uranium enrichment and reach a deal with the U.S. to ease sanctions. Plus, U.S. forces take out a senior leader of ISIS, along with a top financial ISIS official, during a daring ground raid in Syria. I'll be right back.

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Get the real stuff. Straight from the Tri-Tales Ranch to your home. Welcome back to the PDB. A group of Iranian reformists are pressing the mullahs to halt uranium enrichment and strike a deal with Washington as the regime reels from Black. Blackouts, water shortages, and crippling sanctions, seemingly fast-tracking the Islamic Republic toward a potential collapse. The Iran Reform Front, a coalition of 27 groups, warned a statement carried by the independent

news outlet Iran International, that runaway inflation, industrial stagnation, capital flight, and their reales collapse had left the economy in freefall, compounded, of course, by the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel in June. The group urges Tehran to accept full International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA inspections, secure a new nuclear deal, and pursue normalization with Washington to unlock sanctions relief and bring some stability to Iran's 90 million people. But it appears compromise is not in fashion, really. Iran's rulers branded the reformists as traitors and answered the calls for diplomacy

with new threats against Israel and the West. Yeah, that seems about. right. The backlash came fast. The RGC-linked Farr's news agency dismissed the plan as a, quote, charter of submission to foreign enemies, while regime officials doubled down, insisting Tehran was nowhere near prepared for, quote, effective nuclear negotiations with Washington. The Mullahs defiance is resulting in mounting pressure abroad. Britain, France, and Germany joined Washington in warning that unless Tehran reengages with the IAEA by the end of the month, they'll trigger the UN's snapback mechanism to restore the heaviest of international sanctions against the

regime. Why they haven't already done it is, well, a bit of a mystery. It's a bit like dragging out the threatened sanctions against Vladimir Putin. At some point, you need to sanction or get off the pot. Okay, admittedly, that's not a perfect metaphor. Iran's foreign minister Abasarachi countered that European powers had no such right to trigger measures under the neely defunct 2015 nuclear deal or imposed deadlines to enforce them. The director of the Berlin-based think tank, Center for Middle East and Global Order, cautioned that such a move could be the, quote, final nail on the head for Iranians already enduring rolling blackouts and then evaporating water supply. Iran's standoff with the IAEA has only deepened since June's joint U.S.

Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facility. Tehran has accused the IAEA of effectively paving the way for those attacks due to a report they issued on the 31st of May that led the agency to declare Iran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Since the strikes, IAEA inspectors have been left in the dark, unable to verify the fate of nearly 900 pounds of enriched uranium. The UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grasin has insisted inspections are essential, but Tehran suspended talks with Washington outright after the June strikes.

Since then, the Iranian Parliament has passed legislation requiring that all future inspections must be cleared by the Supreme National Security Council beforehand. Iran's foreign minister, who said on Wednesday that negotiations with Washington had not reached, quote, the point of maturity, reiterated that inspectors would only be allowed back under the new law. A ministry spokesman added that while talks with the IAEA continue, Tehran will not accept the timing or terms imposed by any Western nation regarding its enrichment or nuclear sites. Meanwhile, the Mullah's military leadership is back to rattling the saber. Iran's defense minister boasted Wednesday that Tehran now possesses missiles,

quote, with far greater capabilities than those fired in June. Now, where would they have gotten those? Warning Israel not to, quote, embark on the adventure again, end quote. Now, you have to love the Mullah's unwarranted confidence. Iran's first vice president piled onto that threat, declaring Iran must be, quote, prepared at every moment for confrontation, even as regime officials ironically insist that they don't seek war. A fragile ceasefire has held since late June between Jerusalem and Tehran, but the risks of escalation, of course, remain high. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have both warned that they will not hesitate to strike if Tehran resumes in Richmond. Okay.

Turning now to Syria, where the U.S. military carried out a pre-dawn ground raid on Wednesday, targeting senior members of the Islamic State terrorist group. The operation, which involved landing U.S. troops from helicopters in Syria's embattled northwest region, killed a senior ISIS figure who was poised reportedly to become the group's next leader in the country, that's according to a U.S. official, and spoke anonymously to Fox News. The terrorist, whose name is not yet been officially confirmed, was reportedly gunned, down as he tried to escape. The raid also resulted in the death of a key financial official for the Islamic State. The U.S. officials said both men were actively planning terror attacks

in Syria and Iraq, prompting the intervention by U.S.-led coalition forces. The operation unfolded around 2 a.m. local time, with helicopters and drones providing air cover. Syrian security sources told Reuters that their own forces cordoned off their neighborhood where the terrorists were hiding before a team of U.S. commandos descended on the area. Officials stressed that no civilians, coalition forces, or members of the U.S. military were injured during the assault. While the Pentagon and State Department have so far remained quiet about the raid,

the anonymous U.S. official told Fox News that the ISIS member was a leading candidate to assume the role of ISIS-S. Syria-Amir, making him a direct threat to U.S. and coalition forces, as well as the new Syrian government that ousted Assad's regime back in December. The American official said, quote, we will continue to pursue ISIS terrorists with unwavering determination throughout the region.

It was the second known raid by U.S. troops in northern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. As we previously covered on the PDB, U.S. forces executed a ground raid against a terror group on the 25th of July, killing a senior ISIS leader and his two adult sons who also held top positions in the terror group. The new Islamist-led government in Damascus has pledged to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State, but frankly has struggled to maintain order since taking power. President Trump lifted most of the U.S. economic sanctions on Syria in late June, taking a calculated gamble that Syria's new leader, former al-Qaeda member al-Qaeda al-Qaeda, could eventually stabilize the country. But ISIS activity has surged since December as the terror group works to exploit

Syria's turbulent political transition. In mid-June, an ISIS suicide bomber stormed a Greek-Orthodox church service in Damascus, opening fire before detonating his vest and killing at least 25 worshippers. Western intelligence agencies estimate that ISIS currently has up to 3,000 active fighters across Syria and Iraq, including roughly 300 in central Syria, where it's believed to be rebuilding its external operations arm. Another 9,000 fighters and 40,000 ISIS-linked individuals remain in Syrian detention facilities. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief. Israeli and Australian leaders are locked in an escalating and increasingly bitter public feud after Australia moved to recognize Palestinian statehood.

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savings into gold. PDB to 989898. In today's back of the brief, tensions are rising between Israel and Australia, with leaders in both countries trading increasingly personal insults as diplomatic relations hit a new low. The bad blood stems from Australia's recent decision to join Britain, France, and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state. The situation deteriorated further on Monday when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese barred a far-right member of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's ruling coalition from entering the country. Israeli politician Simcha Rothman

was due to speak at events organized by the Australian Jewish Association this week, but he had his visa abruptly cancelled, that's according to a report from the BBC. On Monday, Australian immigration minister Tony Burke accused Rothman of coming to, quote, spread division, something he said

the country takes a, quote, hardline against. He added, quote, if you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don't want you here, end quote, seriously. as anyone looked at Australia's immigration policies? As Israel's foreign minister responded by revoking the residency visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority,

he also instructed the Israeli embassy in Canberra, Australia's capital, to carefully examine any official Australian visa applications for entry to Israel. The move to Barr Rothman's entry also provoked a firing response from Anyahu, who said Tuesday that Prime Minister Albanese had betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jewish community. Netanyahu added that history would remember the Aussie PM, quote, for what he is, a weak politician. Australian immigration minister Burke quickly hit back on Wednesday,

accusing Netanyahu of throwing a tantrum over Australia's decision to recognize an independent Palestinian state, pointedly saying, quote, strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many people you can leave hungry, end quote. Albany's attempted to position himself as the bigger man in the spat, oh, it's a spat, telling reporters, I prefer the word beef, let's go with beef, telling reporters that he does not take these things personally. But earlier this month, after announcing their backing for Palestinian statehood, the prime minister accused Netanyahu of being in denial about the consequences of the war in Gaza, which he called an unacceptable assault against innocent people. After Australia joined with Britain, France, and Canada, Netanyahu issued a scathing statement accusing the leaders of siding with, quote, mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers, end quote.

And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday the 21st of August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And of course, to listen to the show ad-free, that is certainly possible. you can become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. It couldn't be any easier. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe.

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