The President's Daily Brief - March 12th, 2026: Iran Fires Dangerous New Missile & Emergency Oil Release

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Israeli officials say Tehran has begun firing ballistic missiles armed with cluster munitions, weapons that burst open midair and scatter dozens of smaller explosives across wide areas. The bomblets are far more difficult for missile defenses to intercept and pose a significant danger to civilians on the ground. The International Energy Agency announces the largest emergency oil release in history, sending 400 million barrels into global markets in an effort to stabilize prices as the war with Iran threatens energy supplies. New reporting reveals that as many as 150 American service members have been wounded in the first ten days of fighting with Iran, highlighting the growing toll of the conflict. New details emerge about Iran’s newly installed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and why he has not appeared in public since the war began. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Ridge Wallet: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code PDB at https://www.Ridge.com/PDB#Ridgepod StopBox: Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code PDB10 at https://stopboxusa.com/PDB10 #stopboxpod BRUNT Workwear: Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code PDB at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/PDB #Bruntpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Thursday, the 12th of March. 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, Iran has introduced a dangerous new weapon into the fight. Israeli officials say Tehran is now firing ballistic missiles armed with cluster warheads, sometimes referred to as cluster bombs, more difficult to intercept and more dangerous for civilians on the ground.

I'll have the details. Later in the show, the West may disagree about the war in Iran, but there's one thing they can all agree on, and that would be cheap oil. Member countries in the International Energy Agency, the IEA, are releasing a record 400 million barrels from emergency reserves in an effort to stabilize markets and bring gasoline prices down. Plus, we're learning new details about the toll this war has taken on American forces. A new report says as many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of fighting with Iran. And in today's back of the brief, we've got new information about Iran's newly named Supreme Leader. That, of course, would be Mostab al-Khamini, and why he hasn't been seen in public since the war began.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. Iran appears to be adapting its tactics as the war grinds on, introducing a dangerous new weapon that Israeli officials say is now appearing on the battlefield, and that would be cluster munitions. According to Israeli authorities, Iran has begun firing ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, weapons designed to burst open high in the air and scattered dozens of smaller explosives, sometimes referred to as bomblets, across a wide area. Instead of one missile striking a single target, these weapons disperse multiple bombs over large sections of ground. They're not new, but they have been banned by over 100 countries.

That makes them particularly difficult for air defenses to deal with. Even if Israeli systems manage to intercept part of the attack, the cluster bombs can continue falling across a wide area, creating multiple potential impact points. But the real concern isn't just their effectiveness against missile defenses, it's who they're most likely to hit. Cluster munitions are among the most controversial weapons in modern war, As mentioned, more than 120 countries have banned them outright because of the danger they pose to civilians. The smaller bomblets that they release often scatter unpredictably across

neighborhoods and roads and open areas. Some fail to detonate on impact, effectively becoming hidden landmines that could injure or kill civilians long after the strike itself. This danger has played out repeatedly in past conflicts during the 2006 war between Israel and Hasbba. large numbers of cluster bomblets will have scattered across southern Lebanon, where unexploded munitions continued injuring civilians long after the fighting stopped. Similar problems have been documented in conflicts from Southeast Asia to Ukraine, where unexploded bomblets have turned farmland and roads and neighborhoods into long-term hazard zones. Compounding the problem, these weapons are notorious for having high dud rates, meaning a significant percentage of the bomblets never

explode when they hit the ground. And that points to an uncomfortable reality about these weapons. Their usefulness against military targets is extremely limited. The impact zones are so widely dispersed that they're poorly suited for striking specific infrastructure or hardened military facilities. Instead, their effects tend to fall most heavily on populated areas. In other words, the real damage these weapons inflict is often measured not in destroyed military targets, but in civilian casualties and psychological pressure. Israeli officials say that's exactly what they're now seeing, with cluster bombs reportedly falling across multiple areas as Iran continues its missile campaign. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time that Iran has deployed these weapons,

and it was already known that cluster munitions were part of Tehran's arsenal. Iranian forces used similar cluster warheads during the 12-day war with Israel in June of last year, when missiles carrying submunitions scattered explosives across populated areas. Meanwhile, turning to Israel's conflict with Iranian proxy Hezbollah, new reporting suggests Iran may now be coordinating more closely with Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching synchronized attacks designed to hit Israel from multiple directions at once. analysts say the strategy may be intended to overwhelm Israel's already heavily engaged air defense systems by forcing them to track and intercept threats arriving simultaneously from different fronts. If that coordination continues, it could create a serious challenge for the country's sophisticated layers of missile defense.

Instead of intercepting a single wave of incoming missiles, Israeli defenses may suddenly have to track threats approaching from multiple directions at the same time, from Iran to the east, of course, in Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon to the north. Taken together, these developments suggest that Iran may be shifting its approach to the war. Rather than relying solely on conventional missile strikes aimed at military infrastructure, Tehran appears to be moving toward tactics that spread damage more widely, complicate air defenses, and increase pressure on Israel's civilian population. It's the same approach that Iran has taken in their targeting of Gulf states, where initially they focused on U.S. facilities located in those countries

and then began varying their targeting to include civilian infrastructure. All right. Coming up next, a massive emergency oil release as Western nations moved to stabilize prices. Plus, new reporting says as many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of the Iran War. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, if you're like me, you've probably tried,

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the world's energy watchdog is stepping in. The International Energy Agency, the IEA, agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency crude stockpiles, the largest tap of oil reserves in history. To better understand why energy officials are taking such an extraordinary step, we have to return to what's been unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz. As the conflict between the U.S. Israel and Iran intensified over the past two weeks, tanker traffic through that narrow waterway is nearly ground to a halt. And as we've been tracking, the regime has been threatening commercial shipping with missiles and drones

since well before the conflict began. And now that's come to fruition. in recent days with at least three tanker attacks. And there have been reports that the regime may now be laying mines in the strait, creating a situation where many tanker operators are simply unwilling to risk sending their vessels through the strategic passage. That's the backdrop for the unanimous decision by the IEA's member countries. The agency's executive director says the release is intended to offset the immediate supply losses

caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to stabilize global energy supplies. Typically, strategic oil reserves are, of course, called on only during major supply emergencies, such as wars or natural disasters or severe disruptions to global energy flows. The last time reserves were tapped was during the opening days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022, when IEA countries released 182. million barrels to stabilize markets. This new agreement, however, that more than doubles that previous amount. But even a release this large may only be buying a relatively short reprieve. With tanker traffic through the straight largely halted, roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil and another 5 million

barrels of petroleum products are currently unable to reach markets each day. When you run the numbers, the IEA's 400 million barrel release would cover roughly 26 days of lost supply, which explains why energy markets have been so volatile. This week, we saw Brent Crude surge to nearly $120 per barrel before falling sharply. Prices later rebounded to around $91 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, that's the U.S. benchmark, traded near $85 per barrel. As you've likely noticed, those roller coaster swings are already hitting people at the gas pumps. According to data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of gasoline has climbed

about 60 cents per gallon since the conflict began. Now, I want to bring you another layer to this story. Despite the threats to shipping and the near shutdown of tanker traffic, some oil shipments are still moving through the Strait of Hormuz without harm. So, you ask yourself, whose oil is it, and where is it going? Well, look no further than Tecran and Beijing. According to the firm Tankertrackers.com, the regime has transferred nearly 12 million barrels of crude through the strait since the conflict began, and every shipment has been bound for China.

That's because after years of U.S. sanctions targeting Tehran's energy sector, most countries stopped buying Iranian crude. China, however, continues to purge. purchase it, stockpiling its own reserves. Okay, I want to shift now to the cost that this conflict is taking on American service members. A new report reveals that as many as 150 troops have been wounded in Iran's retaliatory attacks. That number comes from two people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters in an exclusive report. They said the injuries occurred during roughly the first 10 days of the fight against Iran.

And to put that in perspective, until this reporting surfaced, Aside from fatalities, the Pentagon confirmed only eight U.S. service members were seriously injured. After the Royer's report was published, the Pentagon moved to clarify the broader picture. Defense officials say roughly 140 American service members have been wounded since the opening phase of the conflict. It's assumed that those injuries occurred during Iran's retaliatory attacks, targeting American military bases across the region. According to Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, most of those injuries were relatively minor, and according to the Pentagon, 108 of those wounded service members have returned to duty.

The eight troops previously identified as seriously injured are receiving what officials described as the highest level of medical care. Now, there are still some unanswered questions. Officials of the Pentagon have not disclosed the exact type of injuries, regardless of how minor, that U.S. troops have sustained. And it remains unclear whether the more serious conditions include traumatic brain injuries, something that is common when service members are exposed to blast waves from missiles or drone strikes. As American strikes continue targeting weapons depots and

missile launch sites, launchers, and stockpiles, the Pentagon says Tehran's capacity to sustain their strikes is significantly diminishing. And that dynamic is reflected in Pentagon updates. General Dan Kane, chairman of the general chiefs of staff, said Iranian forces are resistant. but have not proven stronger than American military planners anticipated. Kane said in a Pentagon briefing, quote, I think they're fighting, and I respect that, but I don't think they're more formidable than we thought, end quote. Okay, well, coming up next in the back of the brief, new reporting reveals Iran's supreme leader, Moshabah Khomeini, may have been injured in the same strike that killed the former supreme leader, his father.

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Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Seeful terms at mintmobile.com. In today's back of the brief, we're learning new details about Iran's newly installed Supreme Leader, Moshabahamani, and it may be a clue as to why he hasn't been seen in public since being selected to replace his father.

According to Iran's ambassador to Cyprus, Mastabah Khomeini was wounded in the 28th February attack that targeted a compound used by members of Iran's leadership. That strike, which occurred in the opening days of the war, killed several members of the Khomeini family, including his father, the country's longtime supreme leader. Mostaba survived the attack, but reportedly suffered injuries to his legs and one of his hands. Those wounds may also help explain something that observers have been pointing out since the conflict began. Iran's new supreme leader has not been seen in public. Since his installation is the country's top authority, There have been no photographs, no video appearances, and no public addresses from Mostaba Khomeini.

In fact, the only statement attributed to him so far came during the official announcement of his elevation to supreme leader, and even that message was delivered through Iranian state media rather than directly by Khomeini himself. That lack of visibility has raised questions among analysts about the true state of Iran's leadership. Now, under normal circumstances, the installation of a new supreme leader would be accompanied by public ceremonies, speeches, and carefully coagraphed appearances meant to project strength and stability. Instead, Moshab al-Hamani has remained entirely out of sight. Iranian officials insist there is nothing unusual about the situation. They say the new Supreme Leader is recovering from his injuries and is overseeing the country's leadership from a secure location.

Now, there is some logic in keeping him hidden, given that Israel has already said that he's a target. But the silence has only fueled speculation that the real power inside Tehran may currently rest with other figures, particularly the powerful commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, who have played a central role in directing Iran's military response ever since the war began. Still, Iranian state media appears to be turning his absence into a propaganda opportunity. Reports inside Iran have begun describing Moshhtab al-Khamenei as a wounded leader, a narrative, that frames him not as a man in hiding, but as a wartime survivor. In effect, the regime is attempting to cast the new Supreme Leader as a kind of wounded war hero. For now, the man who has just assumed one of the most consequential positions in the Middle East remains an unseen and unheard figure.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 12th of March. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at BDB at thefirstTV.com. Now, I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.