The President's Daily Brief - August 29th, 2025: Iran's Nuclear Defiance & Putin's Major Escalation In Ukraine

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:    First—Iran is back in the spotlight, as Britain, France and Germany announce plans to trigger crippling snapback sanctions on the Islamic regime previously suspended under the nearly defunct 2015 nuclear deal. The news comes as the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog warns that their inspectors are still being barred access to the mullahs’ main nuclear enrichment sites. Later in the show—Israeli forces raided a former air-defense base near Damascus on Wednesday in their furthest foray into Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, reportedly dismantling devices used by Turkey to spy on Israel. Plus—Russia unleashes their second largest air assault on Ukraine since the war began, killing at least 21 civilians and damaging offices belonging to the European Union and the UK. In our 'Back of the Brief—President Trump officially hits India with secondary tariffs over their purchases of Russian oil, a move that could gut India’s exports and cost the nation tens of billions of dollars. 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 Stash Financial: Don’t Let your money sit around. Go to ⁠https://get.stash.com/PDB⁠ to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Jacked Up Fitness: Get the all-new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness at ⁠https://JackedUpShakeWeight.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Friday, the 29th of August. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. ears on the world stage. Well, look at that. We've made it to almost the end of another month. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Iran is back in the spotlight as Britain, France, and Germany announced plans to trigger crippling snapback sanctions on the Islamic regime, previously suspended under the essentially now defunct 2015 nuclear deal. The news comes as the UN's nuclear watchdog warns that their inspectors are still being barred access to the Mullah's main

nuclear enrichment sites. Later in the show, Israeli forces raided a former air defense base near Damascus on Wednesday in their furthest foray into Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, reportedly dismantling devices used by Turkey to spy on Israel. Plus, Russia unleashes their second largest air assault on Ukraine since the war began, killing at least 21 civilians and damaging offices belonging to the European Union and the UK. And in today's back of the brief, President Trump officially hits India with secondary tariffs over their purchases of Russian oil. That's a move that could gut India's exports and cost the nation tens of billions of dollars.

Still no indication when or if the White House will do the same to China, which, of course, is the number one consumer of Russian energy. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Iran's nuclear program is once again back in the cruise. crosshairs. On Thursday, Britain, France, and Germany notified the UN that the Islamic Republic is in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal and that they will reimpose crippling snapback sanctions on the Mullahs, just as the UN's nuclear watchdog warns that their inspectors remain locked out of Iran's enrichment sites. Crucially, this sanctions mechanism cannot be vetoed, not even by

the Mullah's allies in Moscow and Beijing. Now triggered, the sanctions revive everything, the 2015 Accord shelved, including an arms embargo, asset freezes, visa bans, and hard caps on ballistic missile development. The E3 leaders framed the move as leverage, warning that with the deal's expiration looming on the 18th of October, in action would grant the regime a freehand to accelerate enrichment. The snapback process now opens a 30-day window for frantic diplomacy before the penalties automatically lock into place. And the timing of the reimbabre. post-sanctions is critical. Russia and China had floated a draft UN resolution to postpone any snapback by six months. But with Moscow, poised to assume the Security Council presidency in October,

Western leaders feared the Kremlin might use procedural tricks to run out the clock. By acting now, the Europeans cut that option off. And in case you missed it, let me just repeat, Russia will be taking over the rotating presidency of the Security Council in October. That's That's correct, which is about as stupid as that time when the UN had Iran chair a UN-sponsored human rights and women's rights forum. As you can assume, Tehran's reaction to the announcement on the snapback sanctions was sharp and immediate. Foreign Minister Abbasaragshi plastered the move as, quote, illegal and unjustified, vowing that Iran would, quote, respond appropriately to defend its rights without providing further details regarding his threat. The regime's foreign ministry claims the escalation from Europe undermines its fragile engagement, what engagement, with the International Atomic Energy Agency or the IAEA.

Tehran's senior officials went further, warning Iran could quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether, a separate pact obligating signatories to renounce nuclear weapons and submit to international inspections. As we've previously discussed, the IAEA sits squarely at the center of the standoff. Inspectors have been denied full access to damaged facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz ever since June when U.S. and Israeli airstrikes allegedly set Iran's nuclear program back by as much as two years, at least according to an estimate based on the Pentagon's damage assessment. UN Nuclear Watchdog Director General Rafael Grossi noted he withdrew IAEA inspectors for their own safety during the 12-day war and that Tehran soon after passed legislation cutting off cooperation with the agency.

Grosey has since pressed for, quote, immediate unrestricted access, warning that staged one-off visits, like the one earlier this week to the small site of Boucher, fall far short. But Islamic regime officials have a grudge against IAEA, accusing Grosy of helping ignite the June conflict by fostering the impression the Mullahs were chasing a nuclear bomb. In a bid to salvage diplomacy, the Europeans have dangled an off-ramp, a six-month suspension of snapback sanctions in exchange for three concessions, reopening talks with Washington, restoring full IAEA access, and surrendering 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which is roughly enough for 10 nuclear bombs.

But talks in Geneva this week got nowhere, with, quote, no tangible deliverables, as one source close to the negotiations described it. Iranian officials have since slammed the door on extending the deadline, as one senior regime official told Reuters, quote, Iran will not concede under pressure. Washington, meanwhile, welcome to Europe's step. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the U.S. quote, remains available for direct engagement with Iran and furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue, end quote. The economic implications for Iran, if they continue to resist good faith negotiations, are severe. The reimposed snapback sanctions

see six UN resolutions restored, including one demanding Iran suspend enrichment. Yeah, that's admittedly a useless and effective demand, a ban on the acquisition of nuclear technology, freezes on assets and embargoes on weapons ranging from tanks to aircraft. For a regime already struggling with high inflation and deteriorating infrastructure, European diplomats warned this could be a knockout blow to an already fractured economy. The move is a dramatic reversal for a deal once hailed as a triumph of diplomacy. Since the American withdrawal back in 2018, efforts by Europe and the then-Biden administration to salvage it fell flat, while Tehran continued uranium enrichment far beyond agreed limits.

Now, with mere weeks before the Accords framework expires, the regime finds itself once again at the center of an international showdown. All right, coming up after the break, Israeli forces raid a former Syrian air defense base near Damascus, and Russia unleashes their second largest air assault on Ukraine, Crane since the war began, killing scores of civilians. I'll be right back. This podcast is brought to you in part by Stash. Now, imagine investing without ever picking a single stock. With Stash, the experts handle the hard part for you. Look, Stash isn't just another

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IDF troops on Wednesday raided a countryside base six miles south of Damascus, dismantling surveillance technology whose origin is disputed, with Syria calling it Israeli and Jerusalem blaming Turkey. The raid came just one day after the same area was bombed by Israel. Syrian state media reported that six Syrian army soldiers were killed in IDF airstrikes Tuesday, as they attempted to dismantle what they described as Israeli listening devices buried at the site, a base that during Assad's rule had served as a strategic hub for Iranian militias. By Wednesday night, Israeli warplanes and drones had blocked regime troops from entering the site

until Israeli helicopters ferried dozens of ID of soldiers out of the area after spending more than two hours on the ground. I'd like to point out that accounts of the spy equipment's origin do remain sharply at odds. Damascus insists the devices were Israeli and tied to long-standing espionage activity. Israeli officials, by contrast, told a Saudi Arabian news outlet that the hardware was, quote, dangerous and had been embedded under Turkish direction over a decade ago, warning the new Islamist-Sahrian regime, quote, not to test its patience. One Israeli source added, quote, Turkey is trying to get closer to Israel than it should. Israeli defense minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the IDF was, quote,

operating in all combat zones day and night for the security of Israel, but offered no further explanation for the raid. The Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced the raid as a violation of sovereignty and international law, while neighboring Jordan condemned Jerusalem's move as a, quote, dangerous escalation, targeting Syria's stability, sovereignty, and security, end quote. The operation unfolded against the backdrop of quiet diplomacy. Earlier this month, the delegations from Israel and Syria met in Paris with U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrick, to sketch out a tentative security framework. That was followed by a round of talks in Azerbaijan. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu this week acknowledged for the first time

that discussions are underway between the two countries, laying out Israel's red lines of a demilitarized zone from the Golan Heights through Shweda, protections for Syria's Druze minority, and a humanitarian aid corridor. As PDB listeners will recall, Since Assad's toppling last December, Jerusalem has warned the new government in Damascus, led by former al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Shara, not to deploy troops in southern Syria. Israeli officials have previously described Shiraz's regime as jihadist and hostile, though Shara himself insists his new administration seeks peace. The Israeli strikes in Syria had largely paused after President Trump warned Jerusalem to, quote,

be responsible. That was back in June, until sectarian violence erupted. in Syria's Druze majority areas. As we previously discussed, Israel bombed Syrian troops and struck Damascus's defense ministry at the time, saying it acted to shield the Drews community. But Washington is still attempting to mediate, dangling the prospect of a broader normalization in ties with Damascus and even Syria's eventual entry into the Abraham Accords. Officials in Damascus say they remain open to dialogue, but stress that for now the talks who confined strictly to stabilizing the frontier.

Okay. Turning now to the war in Ukraine, where the Putin regime just unleashed their second largest aerial attack on Kiev since launching their full-scale invasion of the country back in early 2022. Early Thursday morning, Russia fired off 598 drones and 31 missiles at Kiev and 12 other locations in Ukraine, leaving a trail of destruction and human carnage in their wake. The munitions tore through residential buildings, government offices, and critical energy facilities throughout Kyiv, killing at least 21 civilians, including four children, and leaving at least 63 people wounded. That's according to a report from Reuters. Buildings belonging to the European Union and the UK's British Council were also damaged during

the bombardment, demonstrating the Putin regime's increasingly flippant disregard of international norms. The strikes triggered outrage across Western European capitals and the European Union in Britain quickly summoned top Russian envoys to protest the escalation. Oh, well, that should do it. Nothing like a good diplomatic protest to change Putin's behavior. The mob bardment also reportedly damaged a Turkish enterprise and the Azerbaijan embassy. EU Commission President Erssela van der Leyen told reporters in Brussels that two missiles had struck near the EU office within 20 seconds of each other.

She condemned the attack, saying, quote, this is another grim reminder of what is at stake. It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine, blindly killing civilians and even targeting the European Union, end quote. The White House quickly responded, expressing outrage over the indiscriminate and belligerent attack. Retired U.S. General Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, said the sweeping strikes severely undermined the president's efforts at forging a peace between Russia and Ukraine and extirated Moscow over their deliberate targeting of civilians. In a post on X, Kellogg said, quote, the targets, not soldiers and weapons, but residential areas in Kiev, blasting civilian trains, the EU and British Mission Council offices, and innocent civilians, end quote.

We should note that, following the deadly assault, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, had the gall to say Moscow was still keenly interested in peace talks. Seriously, you can't make that crap up. But Ukrainian President Zelensky quickly hit back, saying the attack showcased what the Kremlin really thinks about Western diplomatic efforts to end the war. Zelensky said the strikes, quote, are a clear response to everyone in the world who, for weeks and months, have been calling for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy. Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table. It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war, end quote. Zelensky called out China in the wake of the attack, accusing the communist regime of paying lip service to ceasefire. efforts, while helping prop up Putin's wartime economy with large-scale purchases of Russian oil.

Well, he's not wrong. Zelensky said, quote, we expect a reaction from China to what is going on. China has repeatedly called for not expanding the war and for a ceasefire, yet this is not happening because of Russia, end quote. Chinese officials, who have long claimed that they're willing to help end the war, issued a vague statement through their foreign ministry saying there should be, quote, no escalation of hostilities and no fanning the flames. And that's a rich statement from a regime that is largely responsible for propping up Putin's war machine. Zelensky also singled out Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow. He pointedly said, quote, we expect a response from

everyone in the world who has called for peace, but now more often stay silent rather than taking principled positions, end quote. The Ukrainian president urged the U.S. to impose new sanctions against the Putin regime in response to the attack. President Trump had said Tuesday that he's still prepared to tighten the economic news around Russia, but the long-threatened sanctions have yet to materialize, as Trump continues to put his faith in diplomacy. Just last week, President Trump established a two-week timeline for determining diplomatic progress with Russia. Now, it's one thing to put your faith in diplomacy, but to do so in the face of Putin's continued aggression and disregard for Western efforts to broker a piece,

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Your car, your timeline, your terms. Visit Carvana.com to sell your car today. Carvana. Pick up these may apply. In today's back of the brief, India is bracing for a major financial reckoning after President Trump officially hit New Delhi with an additional 25% tariff on Wednesday over their ongoing purchases of Russian oil, raising the country's total tariff rate to 50%. India has saved some $17 billion that's with a B since 2022 by aggressively stepping up imports of discounted Russian oil after the war in Ukraine broke out, boosting imports from just 68,000 barrels per day in in January 2022 to roughly 2.15 million barrels per day by May of 2023. Their purchases have gone

a long ways towards helping Moscow bypass existing sanctions and sustain their oil industry, propping up Putin's floundering economy. Trump first threatened India with a secondary tariff at the beginning of August as a way to increase the financial pressure on Russia to end the war. But leaders in New Delhi didn't take kindly to the threat and vowed to continue acting in their own best economic interests. But economists warned that the newly implemented tariffs could soon gut India's economy, as the U.S. represents their largest export market.

According to the New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative think tank, the 50% rate on Indian imports to the U.S. could slash their total exports by more than 40% by next spring. That equates to a loss of nearly $37 billion, which, of course, would erase the revenue gains, Russian oil purchases have provided New Delhi since 2022. Such a disastrous outcome could be politically debilitating for Indian Prime Minister Modi as thousands of jobs across labor-intensive sectors such as textiles and gems and jewelry

could be wiped out, according to a report from Reuters. India's response over the coming weeks will, of course, prove critical, determining just how widespread the economic fallout could become. But India has limited options. Russia now accounts for roughly 40 percent of India. total oil purchases, leaving them little room for a quick pivot. Aside from cheap oil, India also depends on Russia for defense equipment and geopolitical backing on sensitive regional matters.

In short, for them, it's an invaluable partnership, and one, they're not necessarily eager to damage. But India is also desperate to repair ties with Washington, given their dependence on U.S. consumers. The U.S. meanwhile, sees India as critical to countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Indian officials have reportedly offered to boost purchases of U.S. energy products to placate the Trump administration, but they remain highly reluctant to halt their imports of Russian oil. In fact, Russian oil exports to India are set to rise in September, despite the new tariffs.

The founder of New Delhi's Council for Strategic and Defense Research told Reuters that when it comes to Russia and the U.S., quote, India simply doesn't have the luxury of choosing one over the other, at least not yet, end quote. While discussions between Washington and New Delhi remain ongoing, a breakthrough does not appear to be on the horizon. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday the 29th of August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And a quick glance at the calendar, we'll tell you that today is Friday.

Look at that. Hazah! We made it to the end of another week. Now, for millions of Americans, Friday, well, Well, Fridays mean one thing. A brand new episode of the PDB Situation Report, of course, our extended weekend show. New episodes air every Friday evening at 10 p.m. on the first TV, and can also be found on our crowd-pleasing YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and on podcast platforms all over podcast land. We have great guests this week, as we do every week. Frank Gaffney and David Daoud.

We're talking China, an influx of 600,000 Chinese students, counterintelligence operations, and China's support. for Russia, as well as a detailed look into Lebanon and Hezbollah and the latest from Gaza. Don't miss it. It's informative and somewhat entertaining. And it won't leave you with that gassy, bloated feeling like other news shows. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here from MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistance assistants

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