The President's Daily Brief - May 13th, 2025: Satellite Intel Uncovers Iran’s Secret Nuclear Facility & Zelensky-Putin Meeting?

Episode Date: May 13, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   Alarming new satellite images and opposition intel reveal what may be a secret Iranian nuclear weapons site, tied to long-range missile development.   Possible peace talks between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin are being arranged in Turkey, with President Trump hinting he may attend during his Middle East visit.   The Kurdish PKK announces it will disband and disarm, bringing an end to one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies.   And in today’s Back of the Brief: High-stakes U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations conclude with no breakthrough—but both sides agree to keep talking.   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 DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you text PDB to 64000. Message and data rates apply TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDBfor 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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have revealed what appears to be a secret Iranian nuclear weapons facility, hidden in plain sight and potentially tied to long-range missile development. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you, that there's gambling going on at Ricks. Later in the show, potential peace talks between Zelensky and Putin are on the horizon in Turkey, marking what could be the first face-to-face meeting since the war began. And President Trump signals, well, he may join the action during his Middle East swing. Plus, one of the world's longest-running insurgencies comes to an end.

The Kurdish PKK is disbanding after waging a 40-year insurgency against Turkey. And in today's back of the brief, high-stakes nuclear talks between, between the U.S. and Iran have ended with no breakthrough, but both sides are staying at the table for now. Perhaps while they're at the table, the U.S. can ask the Mullahs about that secret nuclear weapons facility. But first, today's PDB spotlight. In the middle of high-stakes nuclear talks between the U.S. and the Iranian regime, alarming new intelligence has revealed an alleged secret nuclear weapons facility being used by the Mullahs to pursue enhanced nuclear nuclear warheads and hydrogen bombs. The newly identified site reportedly codenamed the Rainbow

Site, well, that sounds oddly cheery, by Iranian officials, has been operational since at least 2013 in Iran's Semenon province. That's to the east of the regime's already known nuclear facilities, such as the Natanz Complex in Isfahan and the Fordo enrichment site south of Tehran. The primary function of this newly revealed site is said to be the extraction of a radioactive isotope called Tritium. Did you know about Tritium? It's used to enhance the capabilities of atomic weapons, according to our report from Fox News. Unlike the enrichment of uranium, which has civilian energy applications, the extraction of tritium has virtually no peaceful or commercial use. In fact, it's a key step toward the development of hydrogen bombs. The findings should give

significant pause to those who still doubt Iran's ambitions or believe their oft-repeated assertion that their nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes. The revelation comes from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCR, which said they gathered the intelligence from a large network of sources operating inside the country. The dissident group presented their findings at a press conference last Thursday, releasing satellite imagery of the purported nuclear research complex, and nearby air defenses and military infrastructure. They contend that the Iranian Defense Ministry's organization of defensive innovation and research has been overseeing research at the facility under the authority of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.

To mask their efforts, the sprawling 2,500-acre compound has been operating under the guise of a paint factory overseen by a chemical production company known as Diba Energy Siba. The NCRI has identified a total of five front companies linked to the site, all under the umbrella of a parent firm called the Petsar Group, which is chaired by a brigadier general in the IRGC that's been sanctioned for his links to Iran's missile program, and that's according to a report from Breitbart. Further reinforcing the facility's links to the highest levels of Iran's military,

the rainbow site is reportedly surrounded by military checkpoints, a no-access perimeter and surveillance systems. Officials with NCRI say locals have long been told to steer clear of the area. They also point to the fact an advanced long-range radar system sits nearby the facility, likely strategically placed for defensive purposes in case the site is targeted. As I noted, the NCRI says the facility is specifically focused on the development of a hydrogen bomb, as Tridium's main use is to amplify nuclear yield. Additionally, they say the site is being used to manufacture enhanced nuclear warheads intended for ballistic missiles with ranges up to 2,000 miles, which would put parts of Europe and also U.S. military bases across

the Middle East within range. The deputy director for the NCRI's Washington office said, quote, the information we released was entirely proven and verified by the sources on the ground, people who are familiar with these sites, who know about the people who have been going back and forth there, but also who was behind setting up and constructing these sites dating back to 2009, end quote. The dissident group criticized the international community's in action on reigning in the Iranian nuclear program. The program has been rapidly expanding in recent years, with the enrichment of uranium to 60% purity. That's far above civilian energy needs and dangerously close to weapons-grade levels. In April, the International Atomic Energy Agency

the IAEA released a report confirming that Iran now possesses roughly 605 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60%, which they could theoretically convert into bomb-grade material within one to two weeks. They also reportedly hold nearly all the components needed to assemble a bomb. Officials with the NCRI say they hope their latest findings will persuade the Trump administration to demand the total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program in their ongoing talks with the Mullahs. We'll update you on those talks later in the show. They say such an outcome would help energize organized resistance movements inside Iran to challenge the authority of the ruling

clerics, noting that the regime has spent an estimated $2 trillion on nuclear research while letting their civilian infrastructure crumble. They argue that the international community should formally recognize these opposition groups and their right to overthrow the ruling regime. In a statement to Breitbart, the NCR said, quote, The current moment presents a strong opportunity for the people of Iran to end the rule of the clerics. That's what we're calling for. End quote.

All right. Coming up after the break, possible peace talks between Zelensky and Putin take shape in Turkey. And after four decades of war, the Kurdish PKK says that it's disarming for good. I'll be right back.

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direct high-level negotiations since the war began, were pitched by Putin during a televised address on Sunday as a direct meeting between officials, not heads of state. The Russian leader said the session would take place, quote, without any preconditions and aim for what he called a, quote, durable peace. Zelensky responded with cautious optimism, calling the outreach a, quote, positive sign but made clear Ukraine's participation hinged on a full Russian ceasefire. That condition has yet to be met. So, you ask, what changed? Well, according to both Ukrainian and American officials,

it was a post from President Trump that shifted momentum. In a message on truth social, he urged Zelensky to take the deal, writing, quote, President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this immediately, end quote. Trump added that even if nothing comes of the meeting, it would at least clarify where each side stands

and help his administration and European leaders calibrate next steps. Kiev reportedly moved quickly. On Monday, Zelensky confirmed on X that he himself would attend the talks, saying, quote, I will be in Turkey. I hope the Russians will not evade this meeting. Moscow is now offering only vague signals. Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitri Peskov told reporters that Russia remains committed to, quote, a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement, but dodged questions about whether Putin

would join Zelensky in person. He flatly stated, quote, that's all, I've said everything I could, about this story, refusing to elaborate. Now, if Putin does attend, it would mark the first in-person encounter between the two leaders since the 2019 Normandy format talks in Paris. Behind the scenes, Kiev is embracing for every outcome. A senior Ukrainian official told the Kiev Independent that they're preparing for the possibility that Putin stays away entirely and confirms Zelensky is still waiting on a formal response to Ukraine's central demand of a ceasefire. Supported by the U.S. and key European partners, Zelensky has called for a 30-day ceasefire

to begin this week, which Moscow has dismissed as a, quote, ultimatum. And in a move that further raised the stakes, Trump himself floated the possibility of attending the Istanbul meeting. The president is currently on a high-profile investment tour across the Gulf states, aimed at attracting hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign capital. The commander-in-cheeked teased reporters saying, quote, I even thought about flying over. I'm not sure where I'll be on Thursday. I have so many meetings.

Leaving open the possibility, of course, of a drop-in on the talk. Oh, look who's coming to dinner. Zelensky welcomed the idea, posting on X, of course, all of us in Ukraine, would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey, end quote. All right, turning now to the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, a terror group that has fought a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state for more than four decades. Well, on Monday, the PKK announced that it will be laying down its arms and dissolving. Their move comes months after the terror group's imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocelain, called on his fighters to disarm. As our regular PDB listeners will remember, Ocelon declared in a February message that the terror group's armed struggle had outlived its purpose. Just a month later, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire, timed with political overtures from Ankara, hinting that parole for Ocelain might be on the table, but only if the group disbanded.

On Monday, the terror group took the next step. In a statement echoing Ocelon's call, the PKK said it had, quote, carried the Kurdish issue to a level where it can be solved by democratic politics, end quote. At a Congress held last week in northern Iraq, its leadership voted to dissolve the organization entirely, announcing the termination of, quote, activities under the name of the PKK and urging Parliament in Ankara to play a role in the disarmament process. Now, for those less familiar with the terror group, the PKK began as a Marxist-Leninist secessionist movement back in the late 1970s, originally seeking an independent Kurdish state carved out of Turkey. Its tactics of suicide bombings and assassinations, guerrilla ambushes, earned it terror designations from not only Turkey, but the U.S. and the EU as well.

Over time, the group shifted its demands from outright independence to greater autonomy and rights for Turkey's Kurdish minority. Its insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people. Now, what happens next remains uncertain. Ocelot remains in near total isolation on an island in the Sea of Marmara, where he's been held since Turkish forces captured him back in 1999. Pro-Kurdish politicians are now calling on Ankara to either release him outright or lift his isolation so he can oversee the disarmament process. For Turkish President Erdogan, the PKK dissolution is being cast as a crowning achievement. His supporters are touting it as a milestone that previous Turkish leaders failed to accomplish.

Some analysts suggest that Erdogan may use the moment to expand his reach among Kurdish voters and pave the way for constitutional changes that would allow him to seek a third term as president. A spokesman for Erdogan's ruling justice and development party called the PKK disbandment, quote, an important step in President Erdogan's vision for a terror-free Turkey. Now, beyond Turkey's borders, the terror group's dissolution could ripple across the region. Kurdish militias, affiliated with or inspired by the PKK, continue to operate in Syria and Iraq, many of them as key U.S. partners in the fight against ISIS. But Ankara considers these groups' extensions of the PKK and has repeatedly targeted them with cross-border strikes.

A political settlement with the PKK could reduce the need for those operations and potentially ease long-running tensions between Turkey and its NATO allies who have urged Erdogan to rein in the attacks on American-backed Kurdish forces. Turkish officials insist no concessions were offered in exchange for disarmament. For now, the end of the PKK's armed insurgency represents the most significant development in Turkey's Kurdish conflict in decades. Coming up next in the back of the brief, the latest round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks has wrapped up. Tehran is calling them difficult, but both sides have agreed to keep the negotiations going. I'll have those details next.

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In today's back of the brief, the latest round of high-level nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran wrapped up in Oman this weekend, with both sides offering sharply different interpretations of how things went, but agreeing to keep talking. The U.S. says it's encouraged

by the outcome of Sunday's meeting, while Iran called the talks difficult but useful. The session held in Muscat and mediated by Omani officials lasted over three hours. lasted over three hours and marked the fourth round of diplomacy since mid-April. At the heart of the stalemate is uranium enrichment. Iran insists it has the right to enrich for peaceful civilian purposes,

while the U.S. side, led by Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff, has declared that no enrichment whatsoever can be allowed under any deal. Whitkoff has also said centrifuges must be dismantled and that any rollback of Iran's nuclear program must be permanent, not time-limited, like in the past 2015 agreement. Iran's foreign minister Abbasarachi did signal some willingness to limit the amount and purity of enriched uranium as a confidence-building step. But he was clear there's, quote, no room for discussion about ending enrichment inside

Iran. Iranian President Positschian made a similar statement saying Iran would never seek a nuclear weapon but also would not give up what it sees as its peaceful nuclear rights. The talks are taking place under a two-month deadline laid out by President Trump, who's doing a tour of the region this week. He's hoping to notch a foreign policy win amid mounting frustrations over stalled progress in Ukraine and also in Gaza. Vice President Shady Vance called the current talks, quote, on the right pathway, while Trump has warned that military strikes remain an option if diplomacy fails. In the background, a fragile truce between the Iran-backed Khutis and Yemen,

and U.S. forces brokered just last week. That deal is credited with helping get the stalled nuclear talks back on track. The next round of negotiations is expected within weeks, though no firm date has been announced. Both sides are expected to consult with their leadership before returning to the table. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, the 12th of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. As a public service announcement, well, remember that you could listen to the show ad-free, simply by becoming a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com.

And finally, don't forget to take a minute out of your day to check out our YouTube channel. You can find that at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money

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