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The President's Daily Brief
March 12th, 2026: Iran Fires Dangerous New Missile & Emergency Oil Release
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It's chaos. Watch the Hulu original series the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers to from supply. It's Thursday 12th March. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Iran has introduced a dangerous new weapon into the fight. Israeli officials say Tehran is now firing ballistic missiles ar with cluster warheads, sometimes referred to as cluster bombs. More difficult to intercept and more dangerous for civilians on the ground. I'll have the details later in the show. The west may disagree about the war in Iran, but there's one thing they can all agree on, and that would be cheap oil. Member countries in the International energy agency, the IEA, are releasing a record 400 million barrels from emergency reserves in an effort to stabilize markets and bring gasoline prices down. Plus, we're learning new details about the toll this war has taken on American forces. A new report says as many as 150 US troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of fighting with Iran. And in today's Back of the Brief, we've got new information about Iran's newly named supreme leader. That, of course, would be Mojtab Al Khamenei and why he hasn't been seen in public since the war began. But first, today's pdb. Iran appears to be adapting its tactics as the war grinds on, introducing a dangerous new weapon that Israeli officials say is now appearing on the battlefield. And that would be cluster munitions. According to Israeli authorities, Iran has begun firing ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, weapons designed to burst open high in the air and scatter dozens of smaller explosives, sometimes referred to as bomblets, across a wide area. Instead of one missile striking a single target, these weapons disperse multiple bombs over large sections of ground. They're not new, but they have been banned by over 100 countries. That makes them particularly difficult for air defenses to deal with. Even if Israeli systems manage to intercept part of the attack, the cluster bombs can continue falling across a wide area, creating multiple potential impact points. But the real concern isn't just their effectiveness against missile defenses, it's who they're most likely to hit. Cluster munitions are among the most controversial weapons in modern warfare. As mentioned, more than 120 countries have banned them outright because of the danger they pose to civilians. The smaller bomblets that they release often scatter unpredictably across neighborhoods and roads and open areas. Some fail to detonate on impact, effectively becoming hidden landmines that could injure or kill civilians long after the strike itself. This danger has played out repeatedly in past conflicts. During the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, large numbers of cluster bomblets were left scattered across southern Lebanon, where unexploded munitions continued injuring civilians long after the fighting stopped. Similar problems have been documented in conflicts from Southeast Asia to Ukraine, where unexploded bomblets have turned farmland and roads and neighborhoods into into long term hazard zones. Compounding the problem, these weapons are notorious for having high dud rates, meaning a significant percentage of the bomblets never explode when they hit the ground. And that points to an uncomfortable reality about these weapons. Their usefulness against military targets is extremely limited. The impact zones are so widely dispersed that they are poorly suited for striking specific infrastructure or hardened military facilities. Instead, their effects tend to fall most heavily on populated areas. In other words, the real damage these weapons inflict is often measured not in destroyed military targets, but in civilian casualties and psychological pressure. Israeli officials say that's exactly what they're now seeing, with cluster bombs reportedly falling across multiple areas. As Iran continues its missile campaign, it's worth noting that this isn't the first time that Iran has deployed these weapons, and it was already known that cluster munitions were part of Tehran's arsenal. Iranian forces used similar cluster warheads during the 12 Day War with Israel in June of last year, when missiles carrying submunitions scattered explosives across populated areas. Meanwhile, turning to Israel's conflict with Iranian proxy Hezbollah, new reporting suggests Iran may now be coordinating more closely with Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching synchronized attacks designed to hit Israel from multiple directions at once. Analysts say the strategy may be intended to overwhelm Israel's already heavily engaged air defense systems by forcing them to track and intercept threats arriving simultaneously from different fronts. If that coordination continues, it could create a serious challenge for the country's sophisticated layers of missile defense. Instead of intercepting a single wave of incoming missiles, Israeli defenses may suddenly have to track threats approaching from multiple directions at the same time, from Iran to the east, of course, and Hezbollah controlled territory in Leb and to the north. Taken together, these developments suggest that Iran may be shifting its approach to the war. Rather than relying solely on conventional missile strikes aimed at military infrastructure, Tehran appears to be moving toward tactics that spread damage more widely, complicate air defenses, and increase pressure on Israel's civilian population. It's the same approach that Iran has taken in their targeting of Gulf states, where initially they focused on US Facilities located in those countries and then began varying their targeting to include civilian infrastructure. Alright, coming up next, a massive emergency oil release as Western nations move to stabilize prices. Plus, new reporting says as many as 150 US troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of the Iran war. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, if you're like me, you've probably tried and probably tossed out a number of wallets in the past, right? Either they they don't hold up or they don't hold enough or they hold too much. You know what I'm talking about. One of those big leather brick wallets. It's overstuffed, it's falling apart, it's uncomfortable in your back pocket. Well, then I switched to Ridge. Look, their slim modern wallet holds up to 12 cards plus cash. Yes, I still use cash crafted from premium materials like aluminum. 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Welcome back to the PDB after days of wild swings in global oil prices tied of course, to the conflict in the Middle east, the world's energy watchdog is stepping in. The International energy agency, the IEA, agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency crude stockpiles, the largest tap of oil reserves in history. To better understand why energy officials are taking such an extraordinary step, well, we have to return to what's been unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict between the U.S. israel and Iran intensified over the past two weeks. Tanker traffic through that narrow waterway has nearly ground to a halt. And as we've been tracking, the regime has been threatening commercial shipping with missiles and drones since well before the conflict began. And now that's come to fruition in recent days with at least three tanker attacks. And there have been reports that the regime may now be laying mines in the strait, creating a situation where many tanker operators are simply unwilling to risk sending their vessels through the strategic passage. That's the backdrop for the unanimous decision by the IEA's member countries. The agency's executive director says the release is intended to offset the immediate supply losses caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to stabilize global energy supplies. Typically, strategic oil reserves are of course, called on only during major supply emergencies, such as wars or natural disasters or severe disruptions to global energy flows. The last time reserves were tapped was during the opening days of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022, when IEA countries released 182 million barrels to stabilize markets. This new agreement, however, well, that more than doubles that previous amount. But even a release this large may only be buying a relatively short reprieve. With tanker traffic through the strait largely halted, roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil and another 5 million barrels of petroleum products are currently unable to reach markets each day. When you run the numbers, the IEA's 400 million barrel release would cover roughly 26 days of lost supply, which explains why energy markets have been so volatile. This week we saw Brent crude surge to nearly $120 per barrel before falling sharply. Prices later rebounded to around $91 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, that's the US benchmark, traded near $85 per barrel. As you've likely noticed, those roller coaster swings are already hitting people at the gas pumps. According to data from the American Automobile association, the average price of gasoline has clim about 60 cents per gallon since the conflict began. Now, I want to bring you another layer to this story. Despite the threats to shipping and the near shutdown of tanker traffic, some oil shipments are still moving through the Strait of Hormuz without harm. So you ask yourself, whose oil is it and where is it going? Well, look no further than Tehran and Beijing. According to the firm TankerTrackers.com the regime has transferred nearly 12 million barrels of crude through the strait since the conflict began, and every shipment has been bound for China. That's because after years of US Sanctions targeting Tehran's energy sector, most countries stopped buying Iranian crude. China, however, continues to purchase it, stockpiling its own reserves. Okay, I want to shift now to the cost that this conflict is taking on American service members. A new report reveals that as many as 150 troops have been wounded in Iran's retaliatory attacks. That number comes from two people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters in an exclusive report. They said the injuries occurred during roughly the first 10 days of the fight against Iran. And to put that in perspective, until this reporting surfaced, aside from fatalities, the Pentagon confirmed only eight U.S. service members were seriously injured. After the Reuters report was published, the Pentagon moved to clarify the broader picture. Defense Officials say roughly 140American service members have been wounded since the opening phase of the conflict. It's assumed that those injuries occurred during Iran's retaliatory attacks targeting American military bases across the region. According to chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, most of those injuries were relatively minor. And according to the Pentagon, 108 of those wounded service members have returned to duty. The eight troops previously identified as seriously injured are receiving what officials described as the highest level of medical care. Now, there are still some unanswered questions. Officials of the Pentagon have not disclosed the exact type of injuries, regardless of how minor, that US Troops have sustained. And it remains unclear whether the more serious conditions include traumatic brain injuries, something that is common when service members are exposed to blast waves from missiles or drone strikes. As American strikes continue targeting weapons depots and missile launch sites, launchers and stockpiles, the Pentagon says Tehran's capacity to sustain their strikes is significantly diminishing. And that dynamic is reflected in Pentagon updates. General Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iranian forces are resisting but have not proven stronger than American military planners anticipated. Kaine said in a Pentagon briefing, I think they're fighting, and I respect that. But I don't think they're more formidable than we thought. Okay. 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In today's Back of the Brief, we're learning new details about Iran's newly installed supreme leader, Mushtaba Khamenei, and it may be a clue as to why he hasn't been seen in public since being selected to replace his father. According to Iran's ambassador to Cyprus, Mujtab al Khamenei was wounded in the 28 February attack that targeted a compound used by members of Iran's leadership. That strike, which occurred in the opening days of the war, killed several members of the Khamenei family, including his father, the country's longtime supreme leader. Mujtaba survived the attack but reportedly suffered injuries to his legs and one of his hands. Those wounds may also help explain something that observers have been pointing out since the conflict began. Iran's new supreme leader has not been seen in public since his installation as the country's top authority. There have been no photographs, no video appearances, and no public addresses from Moshtab al Khamenei. In fact, the only statement attributed to him so far came during the official announcement of his elevation to supreme leader, and even that message was delivered through Iranian state media rather than directly by Khamenei himself. That lack of visibility has raised questions among analysts about the true state of Iran's leadership. Now, under normal circumstances, the installation of a new supreme leader would be accompanied by public ceremonies, speeches and carefully choreographed appearances meant to project strength and stability. Instead, Mujtab Al Khamenei has remained entirely out of sight. Iranian officials insist there is nothing unusual about the situation. They say the new supreme leader is recovering from his injuries and is overseeing the country's leadership from a secure location. Now, there is some logic in keeping him hidden, given that Israel has already said that he is a target. But the silence has only fueled speculation that the real power inside Tehran may currently rest with other figures, particularly the powerful commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, who have played a central role in directing Iran's military response ever since the war began. Still, Iranian state media appears to be turning his absence into a propaganda opportunity. Reports inside Iran have begun describing Mojtab Al Khamenei as a wounded leader, a narrative that frames him not as a man in hiding, but as a wartime survivor. In effect, the regime is attempting to cast the new supreme leader as a kind of wounded war hero. For now, the man who has just assumed one of the most consequential positions in the Middle east remains an unseen and unheard figure. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Thursday 12th March. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.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. It.