The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | April 4th, 2024: Israel Braces For Iran's Retaliation & Iranian Security Forces Slaughtered

Episode Date: April 4, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     Israeli and U.S. military forces are boosting defenses and warning troops to brace for possible retaliation from Iran over Monday’s airstrikes on the regime’s consulate in Syria that killed several Iranian generals. As Iran hurls threats against Israel and the U.S., the Islamic regime is facing their own internal threats from Sunni Muslim militants, who recently launched a deadly attack on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. 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 PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Thursday for April. to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, Israeli and U.S. military forces are hardening defenses and warning troops to brace for possible retaliation from Iran over Monday's airstrikes on the regime's consulate in Syria. They killed several senior Iranian commanders who were responsible for providing guidance, support, and weapons to their proxy, Hezbollah. Also, as Iran hurls threats, of revenge at Israel and the U.S., the Islamic regime is facing their own internal threats from Sunni Muslim militants, who recently launched a deadly attack on Iran's Revolutionary Guard

Corps, the IRGC. But first, our afternoon spotlight. Israel and the U.S. are placing their troops on alert and making preparations for a possible escalation and violence with Iran, as the regime vowed to retaliate after their consulate in Syria was hit in a suspected Israeli strike. Monday, killing two Iranian generals and several military advisors. The Israeli military moved to indefinitely halt leave for all combat units on Thursday in anticipation of an Iranian response and drafted reservists to boost their aerial defenses.

Israel also began disrupting GPS services in Tel Aviv and other cities on Thursday in an effort to protect residents from possible guided missile attacks. There's growing concern that Iran may choose Friday to mount a retaliation, as it would mark the final Friday in the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan. Critically, it is also Iranian Kuds Day, or Jerusalem Day, which is used to voice support for ballastrians in opposition to Israel and political Zionism. Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli intelligence chief, told Reuters, quote, I will not be surprised if Iran will act tomorrow, meaning Friday, and then, depending on the consequences of the attack, it may escalate, end quote.

The fallout from Monday's strike has been swift, with Iranian leaders promising revenge against Israel on Tuesday, while also saying they hold the U.S. directly responsible. The strike leveled part of the regime's consulate in Damascus, a significant development, given that diplomatic targets are usually avoided, even between warring parties. While Israel has not publicly commented on the strike, a senior Israeli government official told Reuters that those targeted had been behind attacks on Israel and America and were planning further attacks. Regional observers have warned that the strike could bring Israel and Iran into direct conflict.

Despite the heightened risk for escalation, officials suspect that for now, any Iranian response will likely be carried out through their network of proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen. With that in mind, the U.S. military leaders warned troops in the Middle East on Thursday that they may be targeted once again by Iran and its proxies. The U.S. communicated to Iranian leaders on Monday that the U.S. had no knowledge of Israel's planned operation. However, the Iranian regime still claims that the U.S. is equally to blame. Lieutenant General Alexis Grinquich, a top commander with the U.S. Air Force, told Fox News, quote,

I'm concerned because of the Iranian rhetoric talking about the U.S. that there could be a risk to our forces, end quote. U.S. troops in the Middle East have come under attack more than 150 times by Iranian-backer. militants in the wake of the 7 October Hamas attacks. The attacks have slowed significantly since three American service members were killed in a militant drone strike in Jordan in January, prompting retaliatory actions from the U.S. in Iraq and Syria. Coming up after the break, as Iran ramps up their threats against Israel and the U.S., it's facing its own internal strife, as Sunni Muslim militants carry out attacks targeting IRGC forces. I'll be right back. follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, because behind every headline is a bottom line.

Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. Israel isn't the only concern for Iran when it comes to attacks on their Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to reports from Iranian state media, Sunni militants launched a pair of simultaneous attacks on Iranian security forces in the province of Sistan-Bulukistan on Thursday, killing at least 27 people. Now, Sistam-Bulikistan sits on Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan, and it's been causing them trouble for quite some time. While Iran is a Shiite majority country, Sistambalukistan is a majority Sunni problem.

and home to a number of active Islamist organizations. The region is notorious for ongoing conflicts involving security forces, Sunni militants, and drug traffickers. According to reports, the attackers were attempting to seize IRGC headquarters in two towns. According to Iran's deputy interior minister, the militants did not achieve their objective and eventually retreated. He went on to call the attacks, quote, an act of terrorism, and he said that without any sense of irony.

In addition to the fatalities, at least 10 security officers were reportedly injured. Iran has blamed the attack on a group called Jaish al-Aul or an army of justice. The group, which draws its membership largely from the ethnic Baluki minority, claims to fight for greater rights and better living conditions for Balukis in the Shiite-dominated country and has been responsible for numerous attacks against Iranian security forces. Jaish Al-Aldo has carried out dozens of operations over the years against Iranian militias. military forces, particularly the IRGC, including cross-border attacks and abductions of border guards and security personnel, as well as bombings targeting civilians. The group appears to be

upping the ante over the past several months, executing a number of attacks on IRGC bases and vehicles this past December and January. A retaliatory action by Iran in January included missile strikes on two Jaisal-Aadal bases in Pakistan, leading to a counter-strike from Islamabad. The tit-for-tat has led to a souring of relations recently between Iran and Pakistan. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday for April. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And be sure to check out our new premium membership at pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker.

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