The President's Daily Brief - June 23rd, 2025: Iran Responds To Weekend Attack & Khamenei Names His Replacements

Episode Date: June 23, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   President Trump shocks the world with a surprise strike on Iran’s nuclear program, targeting three major sites in a high-risk overnight operation.   As Iran reels from the attacks, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei reportedly names three possible successors in case he’s killed—breaking with decades of tradition.   Vladimir Putin ramps up tensions in Europe, declaring that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia and threatening nuclear retaliation if the West intervenes.   And in today’s Back of the Brief—Pakistan says it will nominate President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in easing tensions with India.   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/@presidentsdailybriefMando: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code PDB at shopmando.com! #mandopodBirch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We'll start things off, of course, with the big news from the weekend. Kevin Durant has been traded to the Houston Rockets. All right, fine. That's news, but obviously not the big news of which I speak. The U.S. launched a strike on Iran's nuclear program, targeting three key sites in a massive overnight operation on Sunday. Now, the Pentagon says the damage was severe, although accurate damage assessments are still pending. But now, well, the world is waiting to see how Iran responds.

Later in the show, with Iran under fire and its leadership on edge, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Harmony, hiding in a bunker, has reportedly taken an extraordinary step, naming three clerics as potential successors in case he's killed. Plus, Putin says all of Ukraine belongs to Russia. and threatens a nuclear strike if the West pushes back. Well, that sounds just like what a guy interested in peace would say. We'll examine his latest warning. And in today's back of the brief, Pakistan says it plans to nominate President Trump

for a Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with helping ease tensions with India. That sound you hear off in the distance is Democrats exploding with outrage. But first, today's BDB spotlight. President Trump shocked the world this weekend with a high-stakes military move that may have permanently crippled Iran's nuclear ambitions, or not, depending on the results of detailed damage assessments yet to come. In a nationally televised address, Trump confirmed that the U.S. had conducted coordinated strikes on three key nuclear sites deep inside Iran. That would be the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan sites. The operation, codenamed Midnight Hammer, was the result of months of planning. According to Pentagon officials, the assault featured a devastating combination of air and naval power.

1430,000-pound GBU 57 massive ordinance penetrators, or mops, were dropped by B-2 stealth bombers. Meanwhile, over two dozen Tomah Cruz missiles were launched from U.S. submarines positioned in the Persian Gulf. The logistics were complicated and required intricate planning. The B-2s reportedly took off from Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri. flying a grueling 32-hour mission with multiple mid-air refueling requirements and, of course, strict radio silence. Their targets, including fortified nuclear facilities buried deep underground, were among the most well-defended in Iran's arsenal. Initial assessments from the Pentagon suggest that all three sites sustained, quote, extremely severe damage and destruction.

That's according to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Kane. A full battle damage assessment will take time, but early signs suggest the operation was tactically successful. And yet, even as the White House hails the mission as a success, one enormous question looms. Of course, what will Iran do next? On Sunday, Iran's foreign minister condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of sovereignty and accusing Trump of betrayal. The regime vowed it would respond in, quote, self-defense. But what that means in practice is still unknown. Iran is wounded, that much is certain, but even a wounded animal. of course, can still lash out. The question now is not just if Iran will retaliate, but in what way?

According to reports, Iran's parliament has already voted to close the vital strait of Hormuz. And we'll have more on that a little later. But what I want to do now is break down the range of options currently available to the Islamic Republic. The first, of course, would be a conventional military response. Iran could retaliate directly using its ballistic missile arsenal to strike U.S. assets in the region. Now, while Israel's campaign has severely degraded Iran's missile infrastructure, we know that Tehran is still possesses the ability to engage. American troops and civilians remain within reach, whether at temporary outposts in Iraq and Syria, or permanent installations based in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. A conventional response might mirror what we saw

back in 2020, following the U.S. assassination of Goods Force commander Kassim Soleimani. At the time, Iran launched missiles at the al-Assad and the Urbial airbases in Iraq, where U.S. troops were stationed. No Americans were killed, but more than 100 service members suffered traumatic brain injuries. Analysts believe the strikes were deliberately calibrated to avoid fatalities and prevent full-scale war. That calculus, well, may not apply now. Second, proxy attacks through the axis of resistance, as degraded as it may be. Iran could retaliate indirectly by activating its proxy network across the region. This, of course, would include the Shiite militias in Iraq,

Chasbullah in Lebanon, the Qutis in Yemen, and Palestinian factions like Hamas and Islamic Shihad. Again, we've seen this playbook before. After Soleimani's death, Iran-backed groups in Iraq launched a barrage of rocket attacks on U.S. bases, allowing Tehran to strike at American interests, while theoretically maintaining plausible deniative. ability. But here, too, Iran's options may be narrowing. Just this weekend, Israel confirmed that it had assassinated three top Iranian commanders, including Muhammad Saeed Azadi. Now, he's a key architect of Iran's proxy coordination efforts. His death could delay or even paralyze Tehran's ability to mobilize its militias. And, of course, as we discussed over the past year and a half,

Hezbollah, the Khutis, and Hamas have been significantly degraded. Third, we could see the regime engage in asymmetrical economic warfare. Now, if Iran doesn't go for a conventional military response or a proxy war, it could turn to economic disruption. Chief among its tools, well, the Strait of Khormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes. Iran has previously threatened to close the strait. or at least disrupt shipping through naval harassment, sea mines, or drone attacks.

As mentioned earlier, the Iranian Parliament has already voted to do this. That's, of course, subject to approval by its Supreme Council. Aside from the Strait of Hormuz, the regime could also target regional oil facilities of American allies. In 2019, Iran demonstrated this capability when it launched drone and cruise missile strikes, allegedly, from Yemeni territory. temporarily knocking out half of Saudi Arabia's oil production. That attack sent global energy markets into turmoil. If Tehran takes this path, it could inflict economic pain not only on the U.S., but on its allies,

and possibly fracture international support for continued military action. Now, the fourth option that I want to highlight is arguably the most alarming, and that would, of course, be terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. This is Iran's most dangerous card. Through its goods force and proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has previously attempted to carry out attacks in the U.S. And it's not like they haven't attempted this in the past. One stark example came back in 2011. U.S. authorities uncovered a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C.

The plan involved an Iranian-American-used car salesman working with Kuds Force operatives. They attempted to hire what they thought was a Mexican drug cartel hitman to bomb a restaurant in Georgetown where the ambassador frequently dined. The conspirators offered one and a half million dollars for the job. The hitman was actually a DEA informant, and the plot was foiled. But the message was clear. Iran was willing and could be willing to go global. And if Tehran feels cornered, it may once again activate sleeper cells or radicalized individuals in the West. Of course, another option involves cyber attacks, and this is where Russia could play a role.

While Putin is likely loath to step into any aggressive military assistance to Iran in their retaliatory efforts, they could provide significant cyber support in an effort to attack U.S. and Israeli and allied infrastructure. And there's one final possibility. Iran, well, may choose to do nothing, at least for now. The regime is in a historically weak position.

Its nuclear program is in ruins. Its commanders are being hunted down. Its economy is reeling under sanctions, and domestic unrest is simmering. Escalation may only invite further ruin. For his part, President Trump made it crystal clear that any further provocation will be met with overwhelming force. In a post shortly after the strikes, he wrote, quote, any retaliation by Iran against the U.S. interests will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight, end quote. Really, the only thing that is clear at this stage is that the next move

belongs to the Iranian regime. All right, coming up next, Hayatollah Khomeini prepares for his own death, and Putin, well, Putin threatens nuclear war over Ukraine. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, most people know me as a former CIA dude, a businessman, and a podcast host. But, well, I'm actually also quite the expert on personal hygiene. Hmm, I guess you didn't know that. So, let's talk about sweat, shall we? You ever step outside and feel like you're instantly drenched in sweat?

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reportedly through a single trusted aid. According to three Iranian officials cited by the New York Times, the desperate and lockdown reflects what one official called a regime-wide panic over Israeli penetration into the Islamic Republic's military and intelligence networks. One source admitted, quote, even Ayatollah Khamini has been rattled. The paranoia isn't confined to the inner circle. State-affiliated media have issued warnings to the public to limit mobile phone use, citing fears that Israel has been tracking and eliminating top Iranian nuclear scientists and military officers via cell phone data. In a further sign of the regime's anxiety, Khomeini has taken an unprecedented step,

handing Iran's assembly of experts a short list of three clerics to succeed. him. The body, which traditionally deliberates in secret over months, is now being urged to act swiftly, an ominous signal of just how serious Tehran believes a decapitation strike threat of the Ayatollah to be. And it doesn't stop there. The 86-year-old leader has reshuffled the military chain of command. After all, there has been some recent headroom. Installing backup figures in key posts in case further senior personnel are picked off. Humaney himself hasn't been seen since the first missile exchanges with Israel last week, fueling speculation that he's either hold up or confirming reports that he may be battling cancer further compounding concerns about the regime's

stability. But back in Washington, the Trump administration isn't buying the secrecy concept. President Trump bluntly stated that the U.S. knows, quote, exactly where the Ayatollah is. In Washington and European capitals, contingency talks are already underway, with Western diplomats discussing how to secure Iranian nuclear sites if the regime collapses. Officials fear that a sudden collapse could leave remaining nuclear materials vulnerable to theft or misuse, raising the specter of another post-regime vacuum, such as like Libya, but with far higher stakes. And the communication breakdown is getting worse. CBS News reports that Iran's international phone lines and internet access have sharply degraded

since the war with Israel began. Even figures like Deputy Foreign Minister Abasaraji have reportedly gone dark, unreachable by foreign envoys trying to make contact. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, prior to the U.S. airstrikes, the diplomatic tract had envisioned a nuclear agreement, allowing Iran to maintain a civilian nuclear program under strict international oversight while barring uranium enrichment. Of course, the international community has never had strict oversight of the Iranian nuclear program, which of course has been the problem all along. It's hard to understand why, after decades of obfuscation and deception, somehow the Iranian regime would have agreed to transparency and 100% oversight.

But the strikes marked a turning point, signaling that Washington's patience with the mullahs after months of stalled talks had run dry. Now with Khmerinian hiding and succession mechanisms quietly activating, The future of the Islamic Republic suddenly appears more uncertain than ever. Okay, returning to the war in Ukraine, remember the war in Ukraine? Russian leader Putin declared that, quote, all of Ukraine is ours. Once again making clear that Moscow has no intention of ceding seized territory. He also warned that a nuclear response is on the table if Kiev uses a so-called dirty bomb.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, Putin reaffirmed that Russia, Russia, Russia will not surrender a single inch of land it currently holds. Oh. Future peace talks, he said, must respect the, quote, will of the people in occupied regions. That's a reference to the Kremlin's 2022 referendums in Kursans, Apparitia, Lohansk, and Dinesk, as well as Crimea. Those elections, staged under the specter of Russian guns,

were widely condemned in the West as illegitimate. But Putin insisted they reflect Democratic choice, stating, quote, will of the people is what we call democracy. And honestly, for all my insight into democracy, I turned to Vladimir Putin. He added, quote, I've said many times that I consider the Russian and Ukrainian people to be one nation. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours. Speaking separately at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Putin issued his latest nuclear warning, threatening dire consequences if Ukraine resorts to using a dirty bomb, which they have

haven't referenced. For those unfamiliar, a dirty bomb combines conventional explosives and radioactive material. The ordinance differs from a nuclear weapon in that it spreads radioactive contamination rather than destroying a city. Putin warned that any Ukrainian use of a dirty bomb could trigger catastrophic action from the Kremlin, stating, quote, it could be their last mistake. We always respond and respond in kind. Therefore, our response will be very tough, end quote. And in a swipe at the West. Putin accused Ukraine's military backers of obstructing diplomacy to serve their own ends. The Russian strongman stated, quote, they're not interested in ending the conflict, but in using Ukraine for their own selfish political purposes, said the guy who invaded Ukraine.

He called on Ukrainian leaders to prioritize national interests, stating, quote, Ukraine deserves a better fate than being an instrument in the geopolitical struggle of those who strive for confrontation with the Russian Federation, as said the guy who invaded Ukraine. On the ground, the war drags on. Moscow claimed over the weekend to have taken control of a village in Ukraine's Eastern Denetsk region, though it offered no independent evidence to support that claim.

More than 200 Russian drones, meanwhile, struck targets across the Zaporizia area. That's according to the head of Ukraine's regional military administration. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced that Kiev is now in talk, with Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada, and the UK to co-produce weapons systems inside Ukraine to reduce dependence on Western stockpiles. He called on each partner to commit at least a quarter of a percent of their GDP to support

Ukrainian defense production. The latest developments underscore the widening gulf between Russian and Ukrainian positions as Moscow digs in on maximalist territorial claims and revives nuclear threats, even as drone warfare and slow territorial gains grind on in the south and the east. All right. Coming up next in the back of the brief, Pakistan, in no way, looking to curry favor with the White House, wants to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. More on that when we come back.

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In today's back of the brief, Pakistan's government says it intends to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with helping to avert a potentially catastrophic war with India. In a post on X, Islamabad said Trump deserves the honor, quote, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis. The post concluded by calling Trump's actions, quote, a testament to his role. as a genuine peacemaker. As we reported in May on the PDB, Trump personally announced the ceasefire after four days of cross-border shelling and gunfire, warning both nuclear arms sides

that continued economic partnership with the U.S. would be contingent on de-escalation. The commander-in-chief told reporters at the time, quote, I said, come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it, end quote. Pakistan claims the truce was the result of intensive American-led negotiations. But India, well, India sees it very differently. Officials in New Delhi rejected that version of events, denying outside involvement in brokering the ceasefire, and reiterating India's long-standing position of no third-party mediation, particularly when it comes to dispute over Kashmir. Still, Islamabad has not backed down.

Pakistan's former Senate Defense Committee chairman endorsed the Nobel nomination, telling Reuters, quote, Trump is good for Pakistan, and arguing that, that his intervention likely saved lives on both sides of the border. Trump addressed the news on Truth Social, saying that while he's successfully, quote, brokered negotiations between multiple nations, he doubts that the Norwegian Nobel Committee will ever recognize his efforts.

He posted, quote, No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, but adding the, quote, that people truly know what I do, end quote. Now that swipe echoes a long-running grievance. Trump has often criticized former President Barack Obama for receiving the prize back in 2009, just months into his presidency, calling that a prize unearned. Trump's name has appeared before, as he was nominated during his first term by lawmakers in Norway, Japan, and South Korea for his role in the Abraham Accords and for de-escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Whether this latest nomination will gain traction ahead of the Nobel Committee's October decision, it remains to be. be seen. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief from Monday the 23rd of June. Now,

if you have any questions or comments, please, reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief simply by visiting PDB Premium.com. It's really that simple. And I hope you had a chance to check out out this past weekend edition of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. You can always catch and past episodes on our YouTube channel, that's at President's Daily Brief, and of course, podcast platforms everywhere. I'm Mike Baker,

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