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The President's Daily Brief
March 9th, 2026: Cracks Inside Iran’s Regime Are Growing & Russia Supplies Iran With Intelligence
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It's Monday, the 9th of March. Welcome to the president's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, apparently definitely on the road. All right, let's get briefed. First up, a strange apology from Iran's president reveals possible disagreements among leadership inside the Iranian regime. I'll have those details later in the show. New reports suggest Russia may be providing Iran with intelligence to help target U.S. forces in the Middle East. Plus, President Trump signals that Cuba could be next, warning that the Communist Islands government may soon face the same transformation that already reshaped Venezuela. And in today's Back of the Brief, authorities in New York City are investigating a dangerous clash outside Gracie Mansion. That, of course, is the mayoral residence after a left wing protester allegedly hurled a lit fused device packed with bolts and screws toward police. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. We're starting things off with something rather strange that happened over the weekend, a moment that may offer a revealing glimpse into the current state of Iran's leadership. President Massoud Possession appeared on state television with a message directed at Iran's Gulf neighbors. That would be specifically Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman. In a pre recorded address, Possession offered what sounded like a remarkable concession. He apologized for the wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks that have struck across the region since the war began. Possesskian said, quote, I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran. He went on to say that Iran would halt attacks on neighboring countries moving forward unless those countries attacked Iran first. He suggested the situation could still be resolved through diplomacy. Now, on the surface, that may sound like a sign that Tehran is looking for an off ramp from the conflict. But the reality is more complicated. Since the war began, Iran's leadership has been trying to present a unified front to the outside world. But within hours of Bezechyan's speech, the apology began to unravel. For starters, Iranian strikes on Gulf countries didn't stop. Reports out of the region show that missiles and drones continued to be launched toward Gulf states even after Possesskian's remarks. In one case, the UAE was targeted by another barrage of missiles and drones. Debris from intercepted Iranian missiles struck buildings in Dubai and forced the temporary shutdown of the city's international airport. In other words, even as Iran's president was apologizing for the attacks, those attacks were still happening. And then came the political backlash from Iranian leadership. Hardliners in Iran's parliament immediately condemned the speech. In public, several lawmakers described Baseskian's apology as, quote, humiliating others accused the president of weakness and demanded that the country move quickly to replace the temporary leadership council now running the government. One member of Parliament argued that Gulf states hosting US Military bases are legitimate targets in the war and that Iran should never apologize for striking them. Even more telling, another member of Iran's interim leadership council publicly contradicted the president's remarks and vowed that severe attacks on regional targets would continue. And then Possesskin himself appeared to walk back his own statement. Later in the day, the Iranian president issued another message, claiming Iran had not attacked friendly neighboring countries at all, noticeably omitting any apology. So you ask yourself, and rightly so, what exactly is going on here? Well, part of the answer lies in the leadership vacuum now gripping Iran. As we know, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the opening days of the war. And since then, the country has been governed by a temporary three member leadership council. That council includes President Possesskin, judiciary chief Golem Hossein, Mohseni Iji, and senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. Now, in Iran's system, the president does not control the military. The real power, particularly during wartime, rests with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, and the country's security establishment. The IRGC controls large parts of Iran's military, intelligence services and major sectors of the economy, making it the most powerful institution in the country. And the events of the past 24 hours suggest that the IRGC may be driving Iran's war effort far more than the civilian or clerical leadership. In fact, in his own speech, Przeshkian appeared to hint at that reality. He said that after senior commanders were killed in Israeli strikes, Iranian military units may have acted independently during the early days of the conflict. This shouldn't be news to you if you're a regular listener to the pdb. As we've reported, it's very clear that Iran's military has been operating with little central command and has been launching attacks on targets determined before hostilities even began. That reality was confirmed in the early days of this conflict by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi. Brzeshkian's comments just confirm what we already suspected. Meanwhile, Iran's clerical leadership appears now to have selected a new supreme leader. According to Reuters, the late Ayatollah's son, Mujtaba Khamenei, has been chosen to take over the role. Mujtaba Khamenei is known for his close ties to the IRGC and reportedly is not considered by the clerics as the most learned and impactful religious choice. The notion that he may not be the first choice of the clerics but is tight with the military is an indication of who is now running the show. It's likely that his father, the deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may have been the last of the actual supreme leaders. Frankly, there were only two of them. He and his predecessor, Ayatollah Khomeini, had absolute authority. Literally, they were the supreme leaders. There are indications that those days are ending and that the IRGC will emerge as the true power behind the regime. Alright, coming up next, new reports suggest Russia may be supplying Iran with intelligence used to target US forces in the Middle East. And President Trump suggests Cuba's communist regime may be nearing its final chapter, signaling that the island could follow Venezuela in Washington's push to reshape the Western Hemisphere. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, here is the painful truth. We are all getting older, right? And sometimes. 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Welcome back to the PDB with the conflict in the Middle east now in its second week, new intelligence suggests that Russia could be providing Iran with targeting data that may assist Tehran in identifying American military assets. According to three officials familiar with the intelligence, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with the Washington Post. Moscow has begun supplying Tehran with information on the movements of American warships, aircraft and other military assets operating across the Middle East. The officials say the assistance does not appear to be a new development in recent days, but rather a sustained effort that began shortly after the conflict first erupted. Now, the full scope of Russia's involvement is not entirely understood yet, but those officials say the alleged intelligence sharing appears to be broad and it's emerging in a moment when the mullah's ability to track American forces has been degraded during the continuous Israeli US strikes. In other words, Tehran may have turned to Moscow for help locating sensitive US Targets. If that reporting proves accurate, it could represent a shift in the conflict and a shift in US Dealings with Russia in general. Perhaps if confirmed, the intelligence sharing would mark the first time since the conflict began that a major American adversary has directly assisted Iran's military operations. Some analysts say the pattern of Iranian strikes in recent days may reflect that kind of intelligence support, as we've been tracking several Iranian retaliatory attacks focused on U.S. command and control infrastructure, radar installations and temporary military facilities across the Gulf. And I want to point out that one incident illustrates that point. An Iranian strike recently hit facilities connected to the US Embassy in Riyadh. According to internal assessments, the attack destroyed a CIA station located at the site and left parts of the embassy complex severely damaged. Pentagon officials say sections of the facility may remain unusable for weeks. According to military analysts, that level of precision targeting requires detailed intelligence. A Russian specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace suggests that Iran appears to be focusing on early warning radars and other US Systems that coordinate defensive operations, essentially trying to disrupt the infrastructure that helps American forces detect and respond to attacks. And that brings us to another important piece of the puzzle, and that would be surveillance. Iran simply doesn't have the same space based capabilities as major military powers. The regime operates only a limited number of military grade satellites and and lacks a satellite constellation capable of tracking military movements across the entire region. Russia, however, as you might suspect, well, they have that capability. Moscow's Space based reconnaissance abilities, which have been sharpened during years of war in Ukraine, could provide the detailed imagery and tracking data needed to help Tehran improve their targeting. So, from a military standpoint, the supposed intelligence channel would make sense. U.S. officials say Russia's reported assistance to Iran could even be viewed as a form of strategic payback, a response to intelligence and military support Washington has provided to Ukraine throughout the war. Now, I suppose Kremlin apologists would say that it's simply tit for tat, the US Providing intel support to Ukraine and Moscow providing intel support to Iran. However, one could argue that the US has been providing intel to a sovereign nation that was invaded, while Russia is, if the reports are accurate, providing intel to a nation that has been busy exporting terrorism to the region and beyond for almost five decades, lists the destruction of Israel as a primary objective, recently slaughtered thousands of its own citizens, and over the years has been responsible for the death and maiming of Americans through their export of IED technology, particularly during the Iraq conflict. So, well, there's that. But despite reports of intelligence sharing between Moscow and Tehran, the Trump administration insists the development does not change the balance of power in the conflict. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth downplayed the significance, saying US Commanders are fully aware of foreign intelligence activity and are factoring it into their operational planning. Speaking in a 60 Minutes interview, Hegseth said American forces are closely monitoring communications between adversaries and adjusting battlefield plans accordingly, saying, quote, our commanders are aware of everything. We have the best intelligence in the world, end quote. The Secretary of War went on to dismiss concerns that Russia's alleged intelligence sharing could threaten American personnel, instead throwing the pressure back on the regime. Quote, we're putting the other guys in danger and that's our job. We're not concerned about it, end quote. President Trump has likewise brushed aside concerns of Russia's reported intelligence sharing. Speaking to reporters, Trump said that even if Russia has provided Iran with targeting information, it has not and will not change the outcome of the fighting. The President said, quote, if you take a look at what's happened to Iran in the last week, if they're getting information, it's not helping them much, end quote. Okay. As the conflict in the Middle east dominates the headlines, it is important to keep an eye on what else is happening in the world. And for that, well, we can just look 90 miles south of Florida. President Trump is signaling that Cuba could be his next focus, suggesting that the island's Communist regiment may soon face the same transformation we saw in Venezuela. Now, Trump laid out that vision during a gathering in Florida known as the Shield of the Americas Summit. That was the first such summit for the new Shield of the Americas, where he brought together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to discuss regional security and cooperation against narco traffickers. But what stood out was how Trump framed Cuba's future, drawing a direct comparison to Venezuela. In his speech, the president pointed to January's Operation Absolute Resolve that removed Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro from power. Trump then suggested that action could serve as a preview of what may be coming next for Havana's regime. Trump told the summit, quote, as we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we're also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba. Cuba is at the end of the line, end quote. And in separate remarks during a phone interview with cnn, the president predicted the Cuban government could collapse in the near future and suggest negotiations might already be underway. Trump said, quote, cuba is going to fall pretty soon. They want to make a deal so badly, end quote, adding that he plans to have Secretary of State Marco Rubio lead talks with Havana once the administration finishes addressing the current conflict with Iran. Trump last week even went so far as to say to reporters that it may only be a question of time before Cuban Americans are able to return freely to their island. The president framed the moment as the culmination of decades of watching the communist government struggle to survive. Trump added, of Cuba, I've been watching it for 50 years and it's falling right into my lap, end quote. So what's driving these comments from the president? Well, as regular PDB listeners know, the situation inside Cuba has been growing increasingly unstable this year. Ongoing power outages have left millions in the dark, triggering protests in cities including the Capitol, where videos posted to social media show residents taking to the streets banging pots and pans in frustration over worsening living conditions. Those demonstrations reflect growing anger over the island's economic collapse, which has strained Cuba's healthcare system, increased poverty and fueled rising crime. And while public dissent in Cuba has always carried serious risks, that frustration, of course, erupted most dramatically and violently in 2021, following island wide protests in July of that year driven by anger over the economy and COVID 19 restrictions, now widely referred to as the 11J demonstrations, regime authorities detained roughly 1,500 people in a sweeping crackdown. According to the human rights group Prisoners defenders. More than 1200 political prisoners still remain behind bars. A source in Havana told Latin American reports that the Cuban state increasingly lacks resources needed to enforce widespread repression, pointing to shortages of fuel and money and government personnel. Now, whether it is actually possible to use the Venezuela template for Cuba is, well, still debatable. There are distinct differences between the two nations. And the Venezuelan experiment is, of course, still in its early stages. But it's clear that the Cuban regime is existing on fumes with an increasingly angry population, dire economic conditions, and growing pressure from a US Administration keen for change. Coming up next, in the back of the brief, federal authorities have joined the investigation of a suspicious device thrown outside the New York City's mayoral residence during a clash between protesters and counter protesters. Oh, you can say what you will about that snow and ice storm that recently shut down New York City, but at least it kept the protesters off the streets. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me ask you a question about personal finances. Have you looked at your credit card statements lately? Right. I know it's a, it's an interesting question. Look, you work hard. You work 40, 50, 60 hours a week maybe just to buy groceries and gas and things you used to be able to afford. All while the credit card companies, you know what they're doing. 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in today's Back of the Brief, a protest outside New York City's mayoral residence Gracie Mansion turned dangerous when a left wing counter protester allegedly hurled a device with a lit fuse toward police. Now to understand how this situation escalated to that point and why federal investigators are now involved, well, you have to start with why people were gathered outside Gracie Mansion in the first place. The protest was organized by far right activist Jake Lang, who promoted the event as a rally called quote, stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City. End quote. The demonstration was held outside the official residence of socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who of course is the city's first Muslim mayor. Lang and his supporters say they were protesting what they view as the growing influence of Islam in New York politics and policies tied to Mamdani's liberal administration. But the rally itself was relatively small and by small NYPD says about 20 protesters associated with Lang showed up outside the Upper east side residence. But what happened next is where things began to escalate. A much larger group of roughly 120 counter protesters gathered outside Gracie Mansion to oppose the rally. And as you might expect, huh, the two groups did not get along. According to the nypd, that first sign of things heading south came when an individual from Lang's group, who was later identified as 21 year old Ian McGinnis from Philadelphia, allegedly used pepper spray during the confrontation with counter protesters and then things escalated. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says a counter protester was seen lighting a device and throwing it during the clash. Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke coming from the device as it traveled through the air before striking a barrier near police officers and extinguishing itself. Police say the Suspect, identified as 18 year old Amir Balat, then allegedly received a second device from 19 year old Ibrahim Nick and attempted to light it before dropping it. NYPD officers quickly moved in and took both suspects into custody. Investigators later recovered the two devices from the area. Police described them as jars wrapped in black tape and packed with nuts, bolts and screws along with a fuse. Because of the location nature of the devices, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation alongside the NYPD and the devices have since been confirmed to be explosive. Investigators are said to be looking into whether the two teenagers behind the devices were inspired by isis, according to two sources familiar with the matter who told NBC News. When it was all said and done, Police say they arrested six people in connection with the confrontation. The four additional individuals were taken into custody on charges of disorderly conduct and blocking traffic. For now, the investigation remains ongoing as federal and local authorities determine what charges will be filed. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Monday 9th March. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and hopefully you had a chance to catch the latest episode of our weekend show. That, of course would be the PDB Situation Report. The good news is, if you haven't already seen it, well, you can catch it and past episodes on our YouTube channel. Just go to YouTube, obviously, and search up at President's Daily Brief and also of course, on podcast platforms everywhere. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the BDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.