The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 13th, 2025: Iran's Underground Missile Cities & Gaza Ceasefire Breakthrough

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   First, an update out of Iran, where the Islamic regime recently released footage of so-called underground “missile cities” and claimed they are ramping up weapons production as they prepare for the imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House. Then, we’ll have the latest on the elusive ceasefire in Gaza, as mediators report a potential breakthrough in negotiations that could see a deal finalized as early as this week. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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to raise awareness for the UK Special Forces Benevolent Fund. The Fund works to take care of United Kingdom military and veterans and their families, during times of need. Five riders, ten camels, and an amazing support team. It's a 700-mile journey through the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Jordan, retracing the 1917 route of Lawrence of Arabia and a small Arab army, crossing what was considered the uncrossable desert. Now, I'll be providing updates on our progress whenever we have decent comms. But fear not, during my absence, the esteemed Mike Slater will be filling in for me to ensure that the PDB keeps you informed every day. I'll be back on 8 February, assuming we make it.

All right, let's get briefed. An update out of Iran, where the Islamic regime recently released footage of so-called underground missile cities and claimed their ramping up weapons production as they prepare for the M&M return of Donald Trump to the White House. Later in the show, we'll have the latest on the elusive ceasefire in Gaza. as mediators report a potential breakthrough negotiations that could see a deal finalized as early as this week. Now, there have been a lot of false starts and dashed hopes during the course of past negotiations. So let's hope a deal is finally reached.

But first, I want to begin with Iran, where the Islamic regime is putting on a show of force for Israel and the U.S., conducting a series of war games and bragging about their vast offensive missile capabilities, ahead of the return of Donald Trump to the Oval Office. Over the weekend, officials with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, unveiled footage of what they called an underground missile city, claiming their ramping up weapons production and manufacturing, quote, new special missiles, according to a report from the Times of Israel. The footage showed the IRGC commander-in-chief touring the vast underground complex

through tunnels large enough to host fleets of trucks and multiple missile production areas. Now, the base was reportedly used in the Iranian missile attacks against Israel in April and October of this past year, and officials, said the footage released, showed off just 10% of the underground complex. Officials describe the site as a, quote, dormant volcano, warning, quote, the volcano lying under these mountains can erupt in the shortest time possible, end quote, how poetic. In the footage, the IRGC chief dismissed claims that the Iranian military has been catastrophically weakened by its proxy war with Israel and the fall of Syrian dictator Assad, and they've described that as just enemy propaganda. He said in reality, the regime currently has more missiles that it's able to store. Okay, sure, pal. Apparently, they've had to rent out

several self-storage units. The IRGC leaders said, quote, maybe the enemy thought that our production power as stagnated, but the growth rate of our missile power is rising, end quote. The saber rattling came as the regime held a series of air defense exercises on Saturday, involving some 110,000 members of its volunteer forces in the capital city of Tecrane. The exercises reportedly drilled their responses to air, missile, and electronic warfare threats in real battlefield conditions. The drills are part of two months of exercises launched by the regime on the 4th of January, which have already included war games involving the IRGC defending a key nuclear installation in Natanz against mock attacks by missiles and drones. On Monday, Iranian officials

said new drills and war games, slated for later this month, would reveal additional missile and drone cities, including underground sites in the south of Iran. Iranian leaders are said to be readying for the possibility that a president-elect Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may partner to attack Iran's nuclear sites after the 20 January inauguration. Recently discussed on the PDB, Trump is mulling scenarios where the U.S. could either support an Israeli military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities or mount their own preemptive strikes on the sites. Still, it remains unclear what Trump's preferred path forward is. Despite the speculation, regarding a potential strike on Iran, other sources close to Trump have said he'll likely attempt

to strike a new nuclear agreement with Tehran before turning to military options. Regardless, Trump is reportedly preparing a return to the quote maximum pressure campaign against Iran seen during his first term. Transition sources have said it'll begin by drastically increasing sanctions on the regime, particularly those aimed at their oil exports, as part of a broader strategy to choke off Iran's financial and military support of terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. Coming up next, we'll have the latest on ceasefire talks in Gaza as mediators report a potential breakthrough in negotiations that could see a deal finalized as early as this week. I'll be right back.

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Visit LLBin.com to learn more. Welcome back to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I want to provide an update on the Israel-Hamas negotiations as a midnight breakthrough led mediators to present a final draft agreement, potentially paving the way to end the war, at least for a period of time, in Gaza. The proposal follows months of diplomatic wrangling

by the U.S., Gutter and Egypt, as well as by President-elect Trump's transition team. According to officials involved in the negotiations, the draft delivered in Doha outlines terms for a ceasefire and hostage release, marking substantial progress in the discussions. The officials stated, quote, the next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching a deal, end quote. Gutter's prime minister facilitated the talks early Monday, bringing together high-ranking Israeli officials, including the heads of Mossad and Shimbet, Trump's U.S. envoy, Steve Whitkoff, has been also a central figure in negotiations, traveling between Doha and Jerusalem to narrow the gap of agreement between the parties. While optimism surrounds the latest developments, several roadblocks remain.

Hamas officials told CNN that they now demand an Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphia corridor. That's a nine-mile-long strip of land along the Gaza and Egypt border. Hamas is pressing for a permanent ceasefire, whereas Israel hesitated to commit beyond a temporary halt to hostilities. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu previously vowed to fight until achieving, quote, total victory. According to CNN, this agreements also persist over the size of a proposed buffer zone inside Gaza along the strips eastern and northern borders, adding further complexity, of course. Hamas insists on reverting to pre-7 October dimensions of 300 to 545 yards. Meanwhile, Israel's counterproposal pushes for an expansion to 2,200 yards,

citing security concerns from the 7 October terror attacks when, of course, the buffer zones provided no protection. The 20 January inauguration of President-elect Trump adds urgency to negotiations with many in the region viewing it as a de facto deadline. Trump last week issued a warning to Hamas, stating, quote, if those hostages aren't back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, end quote. His envoy, Whitkoff, reportedly pressed Israeli negotiators in Doha to finalize the agreement before the transition of power. Outgoing President Biden, remember him, also prioritize the talks, aiming to secure a ceasefire as a diplomatic legacy before departing office. Biden emphasized the urgency during a call with Netanyahu on

Sunday, stressing, quote, the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting, end quote. The Biden administration remains optimistic about an impending deal with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan telling Bloomberg news earlier today that an agreement could be reached as early as this week, well, not to be cheerish or cynical, but the Biden White House has been optimistic about every failed potential deal since negotiations started last year, and at this point, you'd think they'd keep their powder dry and simply say they're working on it and are hoping for the best. As a negotiations enter a critical phase, time is limited for a resolution before the change in U.S. leadership.

Officials close to the negotiations describe the coming hours and days as pivotal for securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages as international pressure amounts to find finalize an agreement. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, 13 January. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And remember, Mike Slater will be guest hosting during my absence starting tomorrow, Tuesday 14 January. I know the PDB community is in very good hands while I wander in the desert. And if you'd like to learn more about the Trek and our cause, the UK Special Forces Benevolent Fund, please go to their website. Look at me with a prop. Huh? How about that? Thank you, PDB Prop Department. That's

www.svv.sv.org for more information. You can also follow along by checking out the Trekk's Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites. Just search SFCBF Trek. That's it. Couldn't be simpler. I'm Mike Baker. And until early February, when we reach Akaba, please stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Wireless can feel like a world of traps, but not with Visible. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot. Powered by Verizon for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. Plus, for a limited time, new members pay just $20 a month for one year on the Visible plan, using the code fresh start. Refresh your wireless with Visible. Tap the banner to switch today. Terms apply,

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