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The President's Daily Brief
July 11th, 2025: Report: Iran's Uranium Stockpiles Survived US Strikes & Iranians Raise $40 Million To Assassinate Trump
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- [00:00]
Mike Baker
Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets. Well, schedule a free consultation with Birch Gold Group. Birch Gold is the precious metals specialist. Just text PDB to the number 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or 401 to a gold IRA. That's PDB to the number 989898. It's Friday the 11th of July. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Yes, still on the road and yes, apparently suffering from some type of flu bug that's playing havoc with my voice. So, by the way, yesterday some of you astute PDB viewers and listeners noticed and I want to thank you because a number of you sent in your home remedies for how to cure this, this froggy voice. You know, another point here, we don't use AI voice replication at the pdb. So I'm afraid we're all going to have to just suffer through this. All right, let's get briefed. First up, an Israeli intelligence assessment has reportedly concluded that some of Iran's underground stockpile of near nuclear grade enriched uranium survived last month's bombing campaign by the US we'll have those details later in the show. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu both say they're very close to securing a ceasefire in Gaza as Hamas tentatively agrees to release 10 hostages as part of the talks. But as you can imagine, key sticking points remain and Israeli officials caution that there's no guarantee of a breakthrough. Plus, the UK And France agree to a first ever nuclear weapons pact, which would see Europe's only two nuclear powers coordinate their atomic arsenals if the continent is threatened. And in today's back of the Brief, a bizarre story out of Iran. An Iranian fundraiser to kill President Trump has reportedly raised more than $40 million following a fatwa issued by Iranian clerics calling for the President's death. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. You know, I don't know about you, but I think this new croaky, froggy sounding voice is somehow rather alluring. I'm not sure if it's going to translate well to the podcast world, though. All right, we'll begin today with the revelation that some of Iran's newer weapons grade uranium stockpile may have survived last month's joint US Israeli airstrike campaign and may still be within reach of Tehran's nuclear engineers. As we have discussed Here on the PDB, 22 June strikes codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer marked one of the most ambitious attempts to dismantle the Islamic regime's nuclear infrastructure in over a decade. The coordinated assault hit Iran's key enrichment facilities at Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan, deploying 30,000 pound bunker buster bombs and submarine launched Tomahawks in a campaign meant to cripple Iran's nuclear and conventional weapons infrastructure. But Jerusalem now says that the mission fell short. According to a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Uranium enriched to 60% purity, just below the 90% weapons grade threshold, survived the strikes and remains intact inside hardened casks at the Isfahan facility. That material, they warn, could be, could be, we emphasize, recovered by Iranian engineers and used in a future push toward a nuclear weapon. The intelligence has reopened a growing rift between U.S. and Israeli officials. Some in Washington maintained that there was no clear evidence that Iran was actively weaponizing its stockpile. That's a position reiterated in June by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. But Israeli officials insisted they've already shared hard evidence with the US pointing to what they describe as a covert weaponization program that began late last year. That program, according to the official, was detected by Israel shortly after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. That was back in last September, an event that Israel believes triggered panic within the regime's military establishment and accelerated its nuclear ambitions. Israeli intelligence picked up signs of renewed construction, classified scientific gatherings and clandestine procurement, all of which prompted Netanyahu to begin preparing for strikes with or without US Backing. Now, despite the scale of Operation Midnight Hammer, which both governments now agree destroyed or disabled approximately 18,000 centrifuges, the backbone, of course, of Enron's enrichment system, the status of the enriched uranium itself does remain in dispute. International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA Director Rafael Grossi has suggested that much of the 60% enriched fuel was quietly relocated before the bombs hit. Israeli officials sharply reject that claim, saying that no such movement occurred and that their uranium is still buried deep beneath Isfahan, unreachable by American weapons, but not possibly by Iranian recovery teams. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued to frame the strikes as a resounding success. Speaking at a summit in the Hague in June, President Trump said, quote, this achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material, which it won't, end quote. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that confidence, declaring, fordo is, quote, buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated. And on Thursday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters that Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities. But the mullah's post strike behavior has complicated that victory narrative. In the days following the assault, the regime expelled IAEA inspectors disabled on site surveillance systems, and according to multiple Western analysts, began preparing to disperse its nuclear activities across a clandestine network of smaller, harder to target facilities. Now, whether Iran has already begun reconstruction remains unclear. Intelligence agencies in the U.S. uK and Israel are now monitoring two suspected underground construction sites near Natanz and Isfahan that were not hit in the joint strikes. Converting those into fully functional enrichment facilities would require replacing all 18,000 destroyed centrifuges. And that's a massive task that could take many months or longer. Also unclear is whether Iran had centrifuges under construction before the attack, and if so, how quickly they could be installed to avoid detection. According to the Israeli official, any attempt by Iran to recover the surviving uranium would likely be spotted and could prompt a second round of strikes from Jerusalem. But that presumes continued visibility. With IAEA cameras offline and inspectors expelled, monitoring the regime's nuclear activities is now even more difficult for the Trump administration and its allies. The sobering truth may be this. Iran's nuclear program has been set back, there's no doubt about that. But possibly not stopped. And the next iteration may prove more elusive, more fragmented, and more challenging to strike. Okay, after the break. Trump and Netanyahu both say that they are, quote, very close to securing a ceasefire in Gaza. And the UK and France agree to a first ever nuclear weapons pact. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, have you ever said to yourself, I need to figure out a better way to carry my credit cards and my cash? 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- [09:41]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the PDB. Now featuring my new gravelly voice. At least temporarily until we get over this flu bug. All right, Turning to the war in Gaza, there appears to be growing momentum behind a ceasefire deal that could bring a permanent end, possibly to the protracted conflict. During Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington, D.C. this week, both he and President Trump made substantial progress on several key remaining sticking points and expressed optimism that they are very close to reaching an agreement with Hamas. Now, officials say that under the deal, which would involve a 60 day truce, 10 of the remaining hostages would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, allowing time for broader negotiations on a more lasting accord that would bring the rest of the hostages home. And that's according to a report from Axios. Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Trump. Netanyahu and their teams met twice earlier in the week to hammer out the terms, during which there was reportedly tense debate on two critical issues, how far Israeli forces would withdraw during the 60 day ceasefire and a commitment from Israel to negotiate a permanent end to the war during the period of the truce. Now, Israeli officials initially presented a map where regarding the redeployment of IDF forces that would allow the Israeli military to stay in large swaths of the Gaza Strip during the truce. But White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Qatari mediators immediately objected to the Israeli proposal, noting it was a far narrower redeployment than what the IDF carried out during the previous ceasefire and would frankly be a non starter with the Hamas terrorist group. A Qatari official reportedly said the proposal risk collapsing the fragile ceasefire talks altogether and requested assurances that Israel and the US Would not blame Qatar if that happened, the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, initially pushed back, arguing that Netanyahu faces a tremendous amount of pressure from far right members of his governing coalition not to make any major concessions to Hamas. He noted that he could not make any final decision without the approval of his cabinet. But the tense discussion eventually yielded a breakthrough. Israeli officials later presented an updated deployment map that involves a much wider withdrawal of IDF forces. A White House source told Axios on Wednesday that the new proposal significantly raised the chances of securing a lasting deal. A separate source told Axios, quote, there are still some gaps remaining, but we are in a positive trajectory at the moment. That's a sentiment later echoed by President Trump to reporters. That momentum carried into Thursday, when Netanyahu said Israel was ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during the initial 60 day truce. Still, the prime minister said a permanent end to fighting would come down to whether Hamas is willing to relinquish their governing power in the enclave, disarm and dismantle their military wing. If Hamas cannot meet these fundamental conditions, Netanyahu said, israel will be forced to achieve these aims through the force of our heroic army. Now, while this is the closest we've seen to a ceasefire in Gaza in months, Hamas has a long history, of course, of torpedoing peace talks. And much, of course, will depend on how the terror group responds this time. But it appears that Hamas might finally be ready to make concessions. On Wednesday, the terror group released a statement saying that as part of their commitment to the success of the peace talks, they are Ready to free 10 of the remaining live hostages still in Gaza, though they did not elaborate on the timeline. On the other hand, Hamas said the ongoing truce talks were proving tough, particularly around the issues of allowing more humanitarian aid into the enclave and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. They also reiterated their demand for genuine guarantees for a permanent ceasefire. Still, there is cautious optimism that that the long elusive ceasefire can finally be secured. President Trump said Wednesday that he was hopeful an agreement would be finalized by next week, though he hedged his bets and noted nothing was guaranteed. Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Reuters that a deal was likely within the next one or two weeks, but stressed again that the onus was on Hamas to finally agree to disarm now, as a reminder, there are still 50 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, though Israel believes roughly half are deceased. Alright. Shifting gears as fears of renewed Russian aggression mount, Britain and France have taken a historic step toward forging a more autonomous European defense posture, signing their first ever pact to coordinate their nuclear arsenals independent of the US Unveiled Thursday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron at a British military base outside London, the agreement stopped short of full integration, but symbolically and strategically, it marks a turning point. The pact affirms that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt response by both nations, according to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense. While the agreement doesn't create a formal nuclear umbrella for the rest of Europe, officials and analysts say it's a calibrated move in that direction, laying the groundwork for deeper political coordination even as the two countries maintain independent control of their arsenals. As the UK Government put it, the deterrents can be coordinated, though they remain sovereign. The nuclear accord deepens bilateral defense ties through an industrial cooperation initiative aimed at ramping up the production of military equipment. Officials say the plan is designed to supercharge European rearmament at a time when supply chains remain strained and Ukraine's war effort risks stagnation. Now, the moment is not accidental. President Trump, as you know, has been vocal in pressing Europe to shoulder more of its own defense obligations. Thursday's announcement is as much about strategic messaging as it is military posture, a signal from Europe's sole nuclear powers that they're preparing for a world where Washington's nuclear shield is no longer guaranteed. Macron, who has long championed the notion of European strategic autonomy, ideally under French leadership, there's a surprise, as for years floated the idea of extending France's nuclear umbrella to other European allies. And as our regular PDB listeners will recall, back in May of this year, we discussed that Macron declared he was ready to quote open discussion on deploying elements of France's nuclear arsenal abroad, referencing the American model of stationing weapons on allied soil. Until now, such overtures have largely been met with hesitation from other European capitals. But the mood does appear to be shifting. Earlier this week, in an address to the British Parliament, Macron declared, we have to work together in order to defend an efficient multilateralism and to protect the international order. Now that's a not so subtle nod to the instability introduced by the growing aggression of the Putin regime. Thursday's agreement was part of a three day state visit aimed at reinvigorating the Franco British alliance, which has frankly frayed in recent years over Brexit and diverging strategic priorities. Starmer and Macron capped the visit with a joint video call to the leaders of their so called coalition of the willing. That's a loosely defined group of 31 countries backing Ukraine's military efforts. The meeting came at a time when some coalition members have grown hesitant about sending offensive weapons to Kyiv in fear of Russian retaliation, and as a Trump brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has yet to materialize. Still, the nuclear accord serves as a wake up call not only to Moscow, but to a Europe still struggling to define its defense identity in an era of American retrenchment. It's a signal that at least two of the continent's most powerful players are preparing for a future in which the US Nuclear shield can no longer be taken for granted. Okay, up next in the back of the brief, an Iranian fundraiser to kill Donald Trump has reportedly raised more than $40 million. Stay with us. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's take a little bit of time to talk about personal finances and improving your credit standing. I know, I know. That's everybody's favorite subject. Look, it may not be your favorite subject, but it is critically important when it comes to your financial health. So let me tell you about a company that's all about helping you improve and build your credit standing. The company is called Kickoff. That's Kickoff without the C. 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Mike Baker
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- [20:35]
Mike Baker
In today's back of the brief Threats against President Donald Trump from the mullahs of Iran continue to escalate following last month's bombing campaign on their nuclear sites. And now, well, they're reportedly raising tens of millions of dollars for an assassination bounty. According to an exclusive report from London based outlet Iran International, an online platform inside Iran calling itself Blood Pact has been collecting funds for what it calls retribution against those who mock and threaten the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The group claims to have already raised more than $40 million to bring about President Trump's demise, though that figure has not been independently confirmed. While it's not clear who operates the website, we should note that the initial launch of the fundraiser was first reported by the Fars News Agency, which is directly affiliated with with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc. The Blood Pact campaign's stated goal is to raise a total of $100 million for the assassination of Trump. In the statement, the group said, quote, we pledge to award the bounty to anyone who can bring the enemies of God to justice. End quote. Now, as we've been tracking here on the pdp, Iranian clerics have come out in force over the past two weeks to call on Muslims to kill Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and others who they see as threatening the life of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. First, Iran's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makaram Shirazi, issued a fatwa against both leaders, saying they are waging war against God and should be punished by death through the religious decree. He essentially called on Muslims around the world to engage in terrorism against the US And Israel, promising followers that they'll be divinely rewarded by Allah. He was joined last Friday by Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami, who called for Trump and Netanyahu's deaths during a sermon. Well, that's quite a sermon, prompting chants of Death to America, Death to England, and death to Israel to break out among the crowd. The latest threat came earlier this week from a former senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, who, rather bizarrely, said Iran could target Trump with a drone strike at his Mar A Lago estate in Florida while he's sunbathing. But Trump, for his part, appears well amused by the increasingly unhinged comments coming out of the Iranian regime. He laughed off of the drone threat while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, saying he's not too big into sunbathing. But given Iran's history of attempting to use foreign assets to target Trump and former members of his administration for assassination, the US Secret Service, rightly so, is not taking any chances. While the Secret Service has not directly commented on the developments, President Trump's security detail has reportedly been beefed up since the threats first surfaced. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Friday 11th July. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and again, I want to thank all you listeners and viewers who have been sending in your home remedies suggesting ways that I can get my voice back to normal. I appreciate it very much. It's a great community that we have here at the pdb. Of course, if you'd like to listen to the show ad free, you can do that. It's very simple. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.