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The President's Daily Brief
May 19th, 2026: Trump HALTS Planned Strikes On Iran & Putin’s Inner Circle Cracks
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It's Tuesday, the 19th of May. Welcome to the president's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And look at that. Still on the road. I am nothing if not consistent. All right, let's get briefed. First up, President Trump says he's paused a planned military strike on Iran as Gulf leaders push for ongoing negotiations, even while the White House warns Tehran that future talks may happen, quote, through bombs. Later in the show, Pakistan reportedly sends fighter jets and thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia even as US Officials say Islamabad helped protect Iranian military aircraft during the war, proving once again that no government plays both sides like the Pakistani government. Plus, a former Kremlin insider claims Russian elites are beginning to imagine a future without Russian President Vladimir Putin. And in today's back of the Brief, Israel says it's finally killed Hamas's elusive military leader in Gaza, a shadowy figure known as the Ghost. Well, I mean, now known as the dead Ghost, who previously survived years of assassination attempts. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. President Trump says the US has paused a planned military strike on Iran that was reportedly scheduled for Tuesday as Gulf leaders push for another attempt at diplomacy. But despite the renewed talk of supposed negotiations, there are growing signs that both Washington and Tehran may already be preparing for the possibility that the war resumes. In a post Monday on Truth Social, President Trump said he agreed to temporarily hold off on the strike after requests from the Amir of Qatar, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and the president of the United Arab Emirates. According to Trump, the Gulf leaders told him serious negotiations are now underway and urged the White House to continue giving diplomacy a chance. But the president also made it clear that this is not some broad de escalation effort. Trump said he has instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Joint Chiefs chairman and the US Military to remain ready for, quote, a full large scale assault of Iran at a moment's notice if an acceptable agreement is not reached. And importantly, this comes as the White House appears deeply unimpressed with Iran's latest proposal. According to Axios, Tehran submitted a revised offer through Pakistani mediators over the weekend. But senior US Officials reportedly believe the new proposal contains only cosmetic changes and still refuses to make meaningful concessions on Iran's nuclear program. So the sticking points remain largely the same. Iran continues to resist limits on uranium enrichment and has reportedly refused to hand over its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium. One senior US Official speaking to Axios said, quote, if that's not gonna happen, we'll have a conversation through bombs, end quote. Well, that sounds like the sort of grammar coming from a US Official. That's a sign that the administration wants Tehran to understand military action remains very much on the table. At the same time, the fact that Iran submitted another proposal at all may suggest growing concern inside the Iranian regime that another round of American strikes could be coming. President Trump is also reportedly expected to convene his national security team in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss military options if negotiations continue to stall. Of course, this has become a familiar pattern in this conflict. A looming US Strike, last minute diplomatic optimism, reports of, quote, serious negotiations, then another round of threats, military positioning, and stalled talks shortly afterward rinse and repeat. So while there may be genuine diplomatic activity happening somewhere behind the scenes, there's also room for, for skepticism here. And while negotiations continue to dominate headlines, another major development may ultimately prove even more important. Iran has now formally announced creation of what it calls the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or pgsa, a new body that Tehran says will oversee transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Oh, they're setting up toll booths, are they? According to statements released by the new authority, ships passing through the strait will now be expected to coordinate directly with Iranian author. And transit without permission could be considered illegal. So much for freedom of navigation. Maritime intelligence firms say Iran may soon begin imposing multimillion dollar transit tolls as well. Iran is attempting to transform its long running threats against the Strait of Hormuz into a more formalized system of control and economic leverage. Instead of fully shutting down the strait outright, which would of course risk massive American retaliation, Iran may now be trying to create a system of controlled instability. Enough pressure to disrupt shipping, raise costs, and remind the world that the Iranian regime still holds leverage over one of the planet's most important maritime chokepoints. Bottom line. Despite the latest talk of diplomacy, neither side appears to be acting like this crisis is truly winding down. The US Is keeping military options on the table. Iran continues to issue demands rather than concessions, and Tehran is, is now moving to tighten its grip over the Strait of Hormuz. All right, coming up next, Pakistan appears to be playing both sides of The Iran war, deploying military assets to Saudi Arabia even as it helped protect Iranian military aircraft. And new claims from a former Kremlin insider suggest that Russian elites may be ready to turn on Vladimir Putin. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. 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According to the report, Pakistan has sent roughly 8,000 troops to the Kingdom of alongside a squadron of fighter aircraft, mostly Chinese co produced JF17 fighters as well as drone squadrons in a Chinese HQ9 air defense system. Reuters reports the deployment is being operated by Pakistani personnel and financed by Saudi Arabia. The deployment stems from a mutual defense agreement that was signed between the two countries last year. While the exact terms remain secret, Pakistani officials have previously suggested the deal effectively places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella in the event of a major regional war. Now, Reuters notes there were already Pakistani troops stationed in Saudi Arabia under previous agreements, but this latest deployment appears to be on an entirely different scale. According to the report, the agreement could eventually allow for as many as 80,000 Pakistani troops to deploy inside the kingdom if tensions escalate further. And importantly, this deployment reportedly began after Iranian strikes hit Saudi infrastructure and killed a Saudi national earlier in the conflict. But here's where the story gets especially interesting. As we reported last week on the pdb, Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on Pakistani airfields during the conflict, effectively shielding them from possible American or Israeli strikes. Pakistan is reportedly protecting Iranian aircraft while also deploying troops and fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against Iran. So you can see once again playing both sides and all of this as they're playing mediator between Washington and Tehran during peace negotiations. So it's not really the behavior of a country sitting on the sidelines or remaining neutral. Instead, it increasingly looks like Islamabad again is trying to play every side of this conflict at once, maintaining ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US Simultaneously while positioning itself to benefit strategically no matter how the war ultimately shakes out. Okay, I want to turn now to Russia, where we're hearing that confidence in President Putin is eroding amongst the country's ruling elite when it comes to the future that the strongman is offering the country. According to an anonymous former senior Kremlin officials op ed published in the Economist, Russian Officials, governors and businessmen have quietly stopped referring to the war in Ukraine as, quote, our war, and are increasingly describing it instead, Putin's war. And that may sound subtle, but in authoritarian systems like Russia's, small shifts in language often reveal much larger political anxieties. In fact, the former Kremlin official behind the op ed argues that, quote, for the first time since the conflict began, Russians are starting to imagine a future without him. Him being Putin. Well, him's not going to be happy to hear that. That's remarkable when you consider how aggressively the Kremlin spent years tying Putin's identity directly to the Russian state itself. But according to the former official, quote, the irony is that Putin started the war to preserve power and the system he's created. Now, instead, the war may be accelerating the long term weakening of that very system. And when you look at what's happening inside Russia right now, that shift starts to make sense. Because the costs of Putin's war are no longer theoretical. They're becoming increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to fully hide. Yes, the regime can still censor critics and flood state television with patriotic messaging, but what it can no longer fully suppress is the growing sense that the country is being driven into a dead end. And we've been tracking many of these warning signs here on the PDB for months now. With reports of rising inflation, worsening infrastructure problems, growing Internet blackouts, and increasing economic strain across parts of Russia. The former Kremlin official also points to a deeper frustration now building inside Russia's elite circles. In the op ed, oligarchs and wealthy businessmen who once relied on Western legal protections and international access to preserve their fortunes are instead increasingly watching the Kremlin seize or redistribute private assets at an enormous scale. The former official estimated that roughly 60 billion, that's 6,0 billion in assets have been confiscated or redistributed by the Russian state over the last three years alone. Ah, Bernie Sanders must be very jealous of that. The former official makes very clear that many of these insiders are not suddenly demanding democracy or Western style freedoms. What they want is stability, rules and protection for their assets. Even loyal insiders increasingly want institutions capable of resolving disputes fairly, rather than a wartime system consumed by paranoia and survival. And according to this former Kremlin insider, that atmosphere increasingly appears to be intensifying around Putin. The op ed reinforces much of what we've already been tracking here on the PDB surrounding Putin's growing isolation. Describing him as spending the overwhelming majority of his time consumed by the war effort while retreating deeper into heavily protected underground facilities amid fears surrounding coups, assassination attempts and Ukrainian drone strikes. One source familiar with Putin's routines reportedly told the Financial Times that the Kremlin leader now spends roughly 70% of his day focused on the war, leaving relatively little at attention for the broader Russian economy or long term domestic problems. The former official says the Kremlin now appears far more focused on sustaining the war than selling Russians any vision for the future. Okay, coming up in today's Back of the brief. After years of failed attempts, Israel says it has finally eliminated Hamas's elusive military mastermind known only as the Ghost. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here to tell you about a great company out there producing clothes and athletic wear that you're going to love. I guarantee it. With spring fully here, right? Spring is fully here. It's a perfect time to refresh your wardrobe. That's what a lot of people do. But you know that that can be an expensive proposition. But not with Fabletics and their VIP program. 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Call 888 add dish or visit dish.com today. In today's Back of the Brief, Israel has reportedly eliminated Hamas commander Ezzeddin al Hadad, ghost of Al Qassam who survived years of assassination attempts while helping rebuild the terror group's military machine inside Gaza. Israeli warplanes roared over Gaza City Friday night before launching the strike that officials in Jerusalem say killed Haddad after intelligence services identified his location. He was one of the last major figures still standing from Hamas's pre war military leadership. He's widely known across Israeli intelligence as a veteran operative who reportedly helped plan the 7 October 2023 massacres and later became central to Hamas's efforts to rebuild after Israel killed Yahya Sinwar and then his brother Mohammed Sinwar. In fact, by the time Haddad took over as Gaza military chief, Hamas had already burned through three top commanders in just seven months. That's important because Khadad wasn't simply keeping the lights on for a heavily battered terror organization. Israeli and Western reporting suggests he was actively trying to regenerate Hamas's fighting force, recruiting thousands of new fighters and helping the group maintain control over parts of Gaza still outside direct Israeli military control. So even with Hamas weakened, isolated and under relentless Israeli pressure, the group was still trying to reconstitute itself beneath the surface. And according to Israeli officials, Haddad was one of the figures behind that effort. He earned the nickname Ghost of Al Qassam because of his ability to evade Israeli intelligence and survive repeated assassination attempts over the years. This was somebody who spent years, decades, climbing through the Hamas ranks, eventually rising into the upper levels of the Al Qassam Brigades, while also serving inside Hamas's internal security apparatus. That's the element responsible for rooting out suspected collaborators and spies. And according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Haddad wasn't just tied to the 7th of October. From a distance, Israeli intelligence believes he played a direct operational role in the attack. One report claims that just one day before the massacre, Haddad gathered Hamas commanders in a secret meeting and distributed instructions for the operation, including plans for the abduction of Israeli soldiers. And that helps explain something else that immediately stands out here. Israel carried out this strike even while a ceasefire technically remains in place. That alone should tell you how Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu now views this particular phase of the war. The large scale ground operations may have slowed, but Israel is making it clear that senior Hamas leaders tied to 7 October remain active targets when and wherever opportunities emerge. Netanyahu reinforced that directly, saying Israel would continue acting, quote, preemptively against threats despite the current truce brokered under President Trump's peace framework. Hamas confirmed Haddad's death, while the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, that's a nationalist group operating in the Gaza Strip, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. And that, my friends, is the President's daily brief for Tuesday 19th May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.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.