The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 7th, 2026: U.S. Military Intercepts Sanctioned Russian Oil Ships & Iran Protesters Seize The Streets

Episode Date: January 7, 2026

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: The U.S. military seizes two sanctioned oil tankers in the Atlantic, including a Russian vessel that spent weeks trying to evade enforcement tied to illicit Venezuelan oil shipments. We return to Iran, where nationwide protests continue to spread, casualties are mounting, and senior leaders in Tehran are openly signaling that the unrest may be slipping beyond the regime’s control. 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 Beam: Visit https://shopbeam.com/MIKE and use code MIKE to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. BUBS Naturals: Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code PDB at https://Bubsnaturals.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Russian vessel that spent weeks trying to evade enforcement tied to Venezuelan oil shipments. Later in the show, we'll return to our coverage of Iran, where demonstrations continue to spread nationwide. Casualties rise, and Tehran signals that it may be losing its grip. But first, our afternoon spotlight. In a matter of hours, U.S. forces have seized two sanctioned tankers tied to Venezuela's crude oil, operating thousands of miles apart, one in the North Atlantic and one of the Caribbean, in a sign that Washington's oil blockade now reaches far beyond Caracas's backyard. We'll start with a tanker called the Bella One, which has been playing a game of cat and mouse with U.S. authorities for weeks now, evading the Coast Guard, changing its flag,

and changing and repainting its name on the hall, well, that should do it, as well as painting a Russian flag on the side. But the game came to an abrupt end today when the Bella One, newly renamed the Marinera, was boarded by U.S. authorities under a federal court warrant for sanctions violations. U.S. officials say the ship is part of Russia's shadow fleet of tankers tied to Venezuela's illicit oil trade. As we've covered here on the PDB, Russia's shadow fleet is made up of vessels that routinely changed names and flags and ownership structures to obscure their movements and evade enforcement. U.S. European Command confirmed the seizure in a post on X, noting that its tanker was intercepted in international waters after extensive tracking. Secretary of War Pete Hegesan

amplified the message in a post of his own, writing that the blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil, quote, remains in full effect, oh, we put that in all caps, anywhere in the world, end quote. And for a moment, their pursuit even threatened to spill into something potentially larger. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia dispatched a submarine and other naval vessels to escort the clandestined, well, not so clandestined tanker. Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report telling Reuters that Russian military assets were in the general vicinity during the operation, but there were no indications of any confrontation between U.S. and Russian forces. So to put it plainly, the Russians watched the U.S. seizure go down while

sitting idly by. It's not clear yet if there were discussions held between U.S. and Russian authorities prior to the seizure. According to ship tracking data, the Marinera was located off the west coast of Scotland. Around the same time, U.S. and Allied military aircraft were observed operating in the area. Flight records show multiple U.S. Navy and Air Force air assets conducting patrols, including maritime surveillance aircraft and refueling tankers. The United Kingdom later confirmed its support of the U.S. seizure. British Defense Secretary John Healy said it was Royal Air Force aircraft that assisted American forces and framed the operation as part of a broader international effort to crack down on sanctions evasion. He described the Venezuelan-linked tanker as part of a

Russian-Iranian network, fueling instability from the Middle East to the Ukraine. Only after the operation was concluded did Moscow launch into its usual rhetoric. Russian officials accused the U.S. of violating maritime law, and a senior Kremlin lawmaker went even further, branding the seizure as outright piracy. Now, the Marinara wasn't the only seizure of the day. Hours after U.S. forces moved to seize the tanker in the North Atlantic, another oil tanker, the Sophia, was intercepted in the Caribbean. The Department of War, or Department of Defense, as previously known, said the Sophia was seized without incident in international waters and is now being escorted to the U.S. by the Coast Guard for final disposition. Unlike the Marinera, which flew a Russian flag,

the Sophia operated without nationality altogether, another hallmark of shadow fleet operations, designed, of course, to blur responsibility and accountability. Coming up next, widespread protests, continue in Iran for an 11th straight day as authorities respond with tear gas, fast-tracked trials, and warnings of zero leniency for demonstrators. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, it is 26. That's official. And a new year means, of course, typically resolutions, right? Resolutions, doing better, work harder, showing up, hopefully taking your health seriously. That's a good resolution, no excuses. That's why I encourage you to try Beam's best-selling Dream Powder. Have you heard of this? It's a healthy nighttime blend packed with proven ingredients shown to improve sleep, and we could all use improved sleep.

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Turning now to Iran, where the street protests against the regime have entered their 11th day. And according to human rights groups, this may be the largest day of unrest so far. Iranian opposition groups are claiming that protesters have effectively taken control of two cities in Western Iran, Abdanan and Malakshahi. According to those reports, crowds poured into the streets celebrating and chanting, quote, death to Hamani while local security forces were forced to retreat. Those claims come from the National Council of Resistance of Iran and social media posts circulating among activists. They have not been independently verified. And, of course, Of course, Iranian state media is denying that protesters seized control of these cities.

But whether or not those specific claims hold up, the unrest is becoming increasingly difficult for the regime to dismiss. Iran is now facing nationwide protests on a scale that's not been seen in years. Rights groups say protests have been documented in as many as 285 locations spanning 92 cities across 27 of Iran's 31 provinces. What began as localized demonstrations have evolved into a national movement, and the human cost for the protesters is rising. The human rights activists news agency reports that at least 36 people have died since the 28th of December. That includes 34 protesters and two members of the security forces. Four of those killed were under the age of 18, reportedly. Dozens more demonstrators have been injured, many after being struck by pellets or

plastic bullets fired by security units. In Takran, security forces clashed with protesters, staging a sit-in at the city's Grand Bazaar. Now, Teargas was deployed reportedly as demonstrators were expelled from the area. The location carries deep historical significance. It served as a hub for activists during Iran's 1979 revolution. When protests reached the Grand Bazaar, Iranian authorities tend to take notice. In Western Ilam province, witnesses and rights groups reported that tear gas was fired inside Imam Khomeini Hospital as authorities attempted to arrest wounded protesters who had been transferred there from nearby towns. That's a significant escalation, bringing security operations directly

into medical facilities, and more protests are already planned for Thursday, signaling that the unrest shows no sign of easing. The regime for its part is moving quickly and harshly. Iran's judiciary has announced it will fast-track trials related to the protests. Special judicial chambers are being set up and staffed with what officials describe as experienced judges. The Chief Justice warned that there would be, quote, no leniency for anyone accused of helping what he called the, quote, enemy against the Islamic Republic. As expected, Iranian officials are blaming outside forces, accusing Israel and the U.S. of fueling the unrest. But there are signs that the pressure is taking a toll at the very top.

Iranian President Masud Pazegyat delivered a televised address that sounded less like reassurance and more like an admission that the protests may be rapidly moving beyond the control of officials. He said, quote, we should not expect the government to handle all of this alone, adding that the government simply does not have the capacity to manage the crisis by itself. That's not language, typically heard from Iranian leaders during moments of unrest. And then, of course, there's the economy. In response to the protests, the government announced plans to provide a monthly cash payment to each citizen. Officials say the goal is to preserve purchasing power, curb inflation,

and ensure food security. The amount, you ask? Well, good question. apparently roughly $7 a month in U.S. dollars. In the middle of nationwide unrest, driven in large part by economic pressure, that figure may not exactly solve the problem. So, where does this go next? Protests are spreading.

Security forces are responding with significant force. Courts are being mobilized for rapid punishment, and the president himself is publicly acknowledging limits to the state's control. Whether or not protesters did actually seize control of those two cities, in Western Iran, as reported by activists and opposition groups, the larger reality is unmistakable. Iran appears to be entering a far more volatile phase of unrest. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, the 7th of January. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

And of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, it's simple, just become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium. com. And I hope you'll take a minute to check out our YouTube channel. It's at President's Daily Brief. If you like what you see, we'd love for you to hit the subscribe button. Thanks very much. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.