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The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 30th, 2025: Iranian Unrest Explodes & North Korea Goes Nuclear at Sea
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Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets? Well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to 989898. Foreign. 30th December welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, pressure is building inside Iran, where a collapsing economy has driven protesters into the streets and security forces are struggling to contain the unrest. I'll have the details later in the show. North Korea has unveiled what it claims is its first nuclear powered submarine, a vessel equal in size, reportedly, to some of the US Navy's attack subs. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. It's a story we've been watching closely here on the the simmering unrest inside Iran. And based on internal reports and outside observers, it's beginning to look like that simmer may be starting to boil over. How's that for wordplay? Over the past several days, protests have erupted across Iran, spilling into major cities and commercial hubs, including Tehran itself. Crowds have taken to the streets, shops have closed their doors, and security forces have responded with tear gas and batons and mass deployments of security personnel onto the streets. Videos circulating online show chaotic scenes, smoke hanging over city streets, protesters scattering, then regrouping and chanting slogans that go well beyond simple economic grievances. This isn't just another flash protest of which there have been many over the years, all of which have fizzled out in short order under the aggressive and brutal response from the mullahs and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc. What we're seeing now appears broader, more coordinated and more politically charged than many of the demonstrations Iran has faced in recent years. At the center of the unrest is the collapse of the nation's economy. Iran's currency has plunged to historic lows, gutting purchasing power and wiping out savings almost overnight. Inflation is soaring. Prices for basic food items, fuel and household goods are climbing fast. For ordinary Iranians, well, the math simply doesn't work anymore. Now, one of the most significant developments here is where the protests are happening. Demonstrations have spread beyond student groups or isolated neighborhoods. Merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, a place with deep historical and political significance, have shut their stalls in protest. That matters, because when the bazaars Close. It signals that unrest has moved from the margins into the core of Iranian society. The chants tell another important story. Protesters aren't just demanding lower prices or economic relief. Many are openly targeting the leadership itself, with slogans aimed at the regime and top figures. That shift from economic anger to political defiance is one that Tehran takes very seriously. Security forces certainly appear to be taking it seriously. Riot police and internal security units have been deployed in force. Tear gas has been used repeatedly to disperse crowds. There are reports of beatings, arrests and intimidation tactics designed to deter people from returning to the streets. And that is their familiar playbook. But there are signs that the regime is under unusual pressure. The resignation of Iran's Central bank chief amid the currency collapse is one example. So are hints in some official statements that the government may be open to, quote, dialogue with protesters. That's not something that Tehran typically offers unless it's feeling boxed in. The bigger question is whether this unrest represents another cycle. Protests, repression and a return to uneasy calm or something more consequential. As mentioned, Iran has seen waves of unrest before. The protests following the death of MAHS Amini in 2022 are a recent example. Those demonstrations were widespread and emotionally powerful, but the regime ultimately crushed them through force and arrests and fear. This time, however, the underlying pressure points look even more severe and more of the population is directly affected. The economy is weaker. Sanctions continue to bite and oil revenues are constrained. Infrastructure problems, power shortages, a severe water scarcity are leading to growing public frustration. And its recent conflict with Israel apparently has shaken confidence in the regime's ability to provide stability or security at home. There's also the issue of legitimacy. For decades, Iran's leadership has balanced repression with a promise that it could at least manage the basics of daily life, jobs and subsidies and stability. When that promise collapses along with the currency, anger tends to spread quickly. Still, it is important to be clear eyed here or pragmatic. The Islamic regime in Tehran is unlikely to disappear overnight because of some protests. Its security apparatus remains powerful, loyal and experienced in suppressing dissent. The irgc, which is the guarantor of security for the mullahs, well, they have their hooks in every sector of society and the economy. Regime change would dry up their revenue streams and their authority. So obviously the IRGC has a great deal at stake and they've got little downside to sticking with their playbook of crushing dissent. There's no indication, at least not yet, that the regime is on the brink of collapse. So far, this is just pressure, not a revolution. But it is real pressure. The protests are spreading geographically, the demands are sharpening politically, and the regime is being forced to respond on multiple fronts at once. For now, the streets remain contested. Protesters are testing just how far they can push. Security forces are testing how much force they need to apply. And Iran's leadership is trying to decide whether repression alone will be enough this time. Alright. Coming up next, Pyongyang shows off what it says is its first nuclear powered submarine, signaling a potentially major leap in North Korea's naval capabilities. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, as we move into the new year, which of course is just around the corner, many of us are looking to build more intentional lives, right? To live deliberately and better aligned with our purpose and values. And that's why I want to tell you about Glorify, the number one Christian daily devotional app. Glorify can help you lead a more intentional life. 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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. Well, this one flew a bit under the radar, coming without a launch or a test, just Photos North Korea last week released images of what it claims is its first nuclear powered submarine, signaling that one of the regime's most ambitious military projects may be nearing completion. The photographs themselves, well, they tell much of the story released by state media. They show North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a massive guided missile submarine inside an indoor construction facility. And that detail matters as the vessel has not yet been launched, suggesting of course that it's not quite operational. But it does signal that Pyongyang believes it's far enough along to show the world what it's building. Now. We touched on this in today's Back of the Brief, but it's worth slowing down and taking a closer look at what the images actually reveal. State media claims that the submarine displaces roughly 8,700 tons. That places it in the same weight class as US Navy Virginia class attack submarines. If that figure is even close to accurate, it would represent a jump for the North Korean Navy, which has long relied on aging, conventionally powered vessels with limited endurance and survivability. For Kim, the idea is hardly new. He first laid out plans for a nuclear powered submarine at a ruling Workers Party Congress back in 2021, folding it into a five year military modernization plan. What has changed is the environment around him. South Korea received a green light from the Trump administration in October to pursue its own nuclear powered submarines. That's a shift that injected urgency into Pyongyang's timeline and and probably sharpen Kim's sense of competition. It goes without saying that the appeal of a nuclear powered submarine is obvious. Unlike diesel powered subs, they can remain submerged almost indefinitely, constrained only by crew endurance rather than fuel. Nuke powered submarines are typically faster, quieter and harder to detect, making them ideal platforms for long range strike missions. It's a capability possessed by only a handful of nations, including the U.S. russia, China, France, the U.K. and India. And Kim has made clear how he intends to frame this capability. According to the regime's Korean Central News Agency, he argued that, quote, super powerful offensive capability is the best shield for national security. State media following that line accused South Korea's submarine ambitions, which I mentioned were backed by US Support of threatening North Korea's security, which of course, from their perspective, requires a response. While inspecting the submarine, Kim said the construction was, quote, a leap forward in Korean naval power. Now in reality, Seoul, South Korea fields some of the world's most capable guided missile destroyers and modern conventionally powered submarines. Still, North Korea's advantage, if it has one, may be timing. South Korea has wanted a nuclear powered submarine for years, but was boxed in by a long standing agreement with Washington following President Trump's green light. Building one could still take Seoul at least a decade. By contrast, last week's images suggest Pyongyang may be close. The submarine could already house a nuclear reactor, leaving only integration, testing and launch. And that could be accelerated by Kim's growing relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin. This may be a perfect case study in how North Korea is benefiting from a closer relationship with Russia. And since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Kim's willingness to provide Moscow with ammunition and weaponry and troops, well, that hasn't been a pro bono effort. Part of the payback has been increased weapons technology transfer to the hermit kingdom. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 30th December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com of course to listen to the show ad free. It's really 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 tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.