The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 28th, 2024: Iran Floors The Gas On Nukes & Putin Accuses NATO Of Pushing Nuclear War

Episode Date: May 28, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    Iran is once again increasing their nuclear output as fears mount over their possible development of an atomic weapon. We’ll discuss how the international community is reacting and reports the U.S. is attempting to undermine efforts to rebuke Iran for their behavior. As Ukraine intensifies strikes against critical military targets inside Russia, leaders in Moscow are accusing NATO of gearing up for nuclear war. 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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Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. It's Tuesday, 28 May. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed.

First, Iran is once again increasing their nuclear output as fears mount over their impossible development of an atomic weapon. We'll discuss how the international community is reacting and reports that the U.S. is attempting to undermine efforts to rebuke Iran for their behavior. Also, as Ukraine intensifies strikes against critical military targets inside Russia, leaders in Moscow are accusing NATO of gearing up for nuclear war. But first, our afternoon spotlight. The United Nations Nuclear Watchdog warned Monday that leaders in Tehran are speeding up efforts to stockpile uranium that's been enriched to near-weapons-grade levels. A confidential report delivered on Monday by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEAE, found that since February, Iran has significantly expanded its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, which is just shy of the 90% threshold that's considered weapons grade,

and that's according to a report from the Associated Press. The regime's total stockpile rose roughly 16% between February and May alone, revealing a renewed emphasis on production by the Iranian regime. Officials have warned that 60% enriched uranium, can be converted into weapons grade levels in just a matter of days. Based on current projections of their stockpiles, the mullahs would seem to have enough uranium to produce at least three nuclear devices. It's worth noting that the recent death of the Iranian president, Ibrahim Risi,

has had little to no impact on the nuclear activity within the country, which is ultimately overseen by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini. Some analysts have argued that Iran, is attempting to get economic sanctions imposed on their nuclear program lifted in exchange for slowing down production. Still, their ultimate intent, their intentions, well, let's just say they're difficult to ascertain. Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, also added that Iran has still not reconsidered their decision to kick out several senior UN nuclear inspectors from their country last September in what the agency called an unprecedented move.

Following a trip to Iran earlier this month, Grossi said no progress has been made on expanding UN inspections of the country's nuclear program. He warned that the regime's nuclear isolation raised significant questions about just what Iranian scientists are up to at their nuclear facilities. Amid the drama, a coalition of European allies, led by the UK and France, are seeking to censure Iran at the IAEA's member state board in early January. June, something that could build momentum for comprehensive international sanctions against the regime. It appears, however, that U.S. officials are actively undermining those efforts. That's according

to an exclusive report from the Wall Street Journal. The Biden administration reportedly fears that a censure could cause the Iranian regime to escalate their nuclear activity. European officials also told the journal that the Biden administration has asked the IAEA to postpone. any actions against Iran until after U.S. elections in November. So, you could argue, once again, the Biden White House appears to be making foreign policy and national security decisions based on their political concerns and the November election. Disgruntled officials from the European Union said that it appears the Biden administration has no appetite to pursue serious diplomatic consequences against Iran for their ongoing belligerence in the Middle East. Meanwhile, anonymous U.S. officials

have firmly denied lobbying against the resolution and said any claims they were making election year considerations were, quote, totally false. Oh, well then, if anonymous officials within the Biden administration say so, eh, good enough. Look, having spent the past three years of their administration staffing Iran-focused positions in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House with Iran apologists, it's certainly within the realm of the possible that the administration is still pushing for a softer approach in dealing with the regime. Iran, for their part, have long claimed that their nuclear program is for civilian purposes and that they have no plans on creating a nuke. Well, disturbingly, however, officials in Iran have recently pivoted from their

usual nuclear rhetoric to openly discussing the possibility of changing their nuclear doctrine from civilian to military. Some senior leaders within the IRGC have even stated that Iran may act to develop a nuclear weapon in light of perceived threats from Israel and Western powers. It's also worth remembering that the former head of Iran's nuclear agency suggested earlier this year that Iran has all the component parts to immediately build a nuclear device, but they are currently in a disassembled state. While statements from Iran regarding their nuclear program can often be contradictory, it appears that the regime is deliberately trying to normalize the idea of a nuclear Iran within their own borders and abroad. Coming up after the break, an update on the war in Ukraine,

as Russia accuses Kiev and NATO of preparing for a nuclear war against Moscow. I'll be right back. Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal. So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe. Whatever it takes, we'll be here.

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Kayak, got that right. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. I wanted to follow up on a story that we brought you this morning. Ukraine's strikes on multiple nuclear early warning radar systems deep inside Russia. A high-ranking Russian Federal Security Service or FSB official is now accusing NATO of preparing for nuclear war against Moscow. General Vladimir Kulishov, the first deputy director and head of Russia's FSB border service, stated in an interview with Russian state media that NATO is increasing

its training activities near Russian borders, including nuclear drills. He highlighted that NATO's reconnaissance in operational combat training are intensifying, with scenarios involving combat operations against Russia and nuclear strikes being practiced. Kulashov went on to say that Russia would take appropriate measures to protect and secure its borders. Now, of course, it's worth noting that the general's warning and his statements, well, could be considered Russian propaganda. However, it does come at a time of escalating nuclear tensions and a week after Russian forces began their own military drills near the Ukrainian border simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons. As a saying goes, accuse your enemies of what you yourself are doing.

Meanwhile, NATO's parliamentary assembly has now weighed in on the issue of allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets inside Russian territory. In a declaration adopted this morning, the Assembly declared that allies must accelerate the delivery of crucial weapons to Ukraine and lift restrictions on their use. The Assembly emphasized the need for immediate, unrestricted support, including air defense systems and long-range capabilities, to enable Ukraine to defend itself and attack Russian supply lines and bases. The Declaration stated that current military assistance is insufficient and urged a comprehensive strategy to provide Ukraine with the necessary resources until victory. It also called for the July NATO summit to address long-term military

assistance and the need to counter Russia's threats more effectively. The president of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly said in a statement, quote, Ukraine can only defend itself if it can attack Russia's supply lines and Russian bases of operation. It is time to recognize this reality and let Ukraine do what it must, end quote. NATO Secretary General Jens Stolenberg agreed on the need to lift restrictions on the use of weapons, saying, quote, the right to self-defense includes hitting legitimate targets outside Ukraine. The declaration was approved by a large majority of the over 200 lawmakers from across the 32-nation alliance.

And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 28 May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And if you want to listen to the show ad-free, be sure to check out our premium membership at PDBpremium.com. Also, I hope that you enjoyed the second episode of our PDB weekend's show, the PDB Situation Report. Every weekend will bring you an expanded version of the President's Daily Brief with news, in-depth analysis, and excellent guests. It's available on all podcast platforms and at Living Color on the First TV, as well as our YouTube channel at The President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.