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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | February 24th, 2026: Intel Warning: Iran Preparing Strikes in Europe & Moscow’s Trojan Network
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It's Tuesday, the 24th of February. 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, Western intelligence officials are warning that Tehran could direct terror attacks across Europe if the US Launches strikes against Iran, tapping networks that already have operational history on the continent. Later in the show, Russian operatives are reportedly buying up properties near military bases and other infrastructure across Europe, creating what intelligence officials describe as a network of Trojan horse sites designed for sabotage. But first, Today's afternoon spotlight. U.S. and Western intelligence officials are monitoring what they describe as as increasingly worrisome signs that Iran could direct terrorist attacks against American targets in Europe and the Middle east should it come under attack from US Forces. According to multiple security sources speaking to the New York Times, electronic intercepts show heightened chatter communications suggesting coordination and planning. Now, officials say they have not identified any specific operational plots. There are no named targets and no confirmed timelines for attacks, but the warning signs are sufficient to issue relevant alerts. The concern is that if President Trump authorizes large scale military strikes against Iran, whether limited attacks or non military facilities or something more expansive, Tehran could respond asymmetrically through their proxies. In particular, Western intelligence agencies are watching several groups closely. First up, Hezbollah intelligence experts fear sleeper cells inside Europe could be activated to target US Embassies, military bases or other American interests. Hezbollah has carried out lethal attacks in Europe before. Back in 2012, a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, killing six people. Bulgarian investigators later concluded that Hezbollah's military wing was responsible, an attack that ultimately led the EU to designate that wing as a terrorist organization. In 2024, British intelligence officials publicly disclosed more than 20 Iran backed plots uncovered in the UK over the course of just a single year. In other words, Hezbollah's infrastructure, networks and precedent for operating in Europe already exist. The second group being monitored are the Houthis in Yemen. They could resume attacks on Western commercial shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade and increasing economic pressure. Another group well known from years past is Al Qaeda. A recent UN assessment warned that the group's ambition for external operations remains high. Now, on its face, cooperation between Iran and Al Qaeda might seem unlikely. Iran's leadership is Shia. Al Qaeda is a Sunni extremist organization and historically, they have been ideological rivals. But geopolitics doesn't always follow theology. Over the years, Al Qaeda figures have operated from Iranian territory under varying degrees of restriction. US Intelligence assessments have long noted that Tehran has at times tolerated or leveraged Sunni extremist elements when it served their strategic interests. In the event of open conflict between Washington and Tehran, some analysts believe that Al Qaeda operatives could be encouraged either directly or indirectly, to carry out attacks in Europe or the Middle east, not as an alliance built on ideology, but as a convergence of convenience against a common adversary. So why Europe? Well, part of the answer is operational. Europe, of course, is closer to the Middle East. It has dense urban centers. The EU has had permissive open borders and immigration policies for years, with very little vetting or understanding of who they've been allowing in. And while EU security services are certainly capable, it is often viewed as softer terrain than the US Homeland. But there's also a political dimension. If Tehran wanted to raise the cost of American military action, it might seek not only to inflict casualties, but to try and fracture Western unity. There is historical precedent for how terrorism can reshape European politics. Back in 2004, coordinated train bombings in Madrid killed 193 people and injured roughly 2,500. The attack took place just three days before Spain's general election, and the political fallout was immediate. The incumbent government lost power and the incoming leadership withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq. Now, there's no indication that there's a Madrid style plot in the works, but the episode demonstrated something important. Mass casualty attacks in Europe can shift public opinion, alter elections, and strain alliance commitments. If Tehran believes a US Strike is imminent and views it as an existential threat, it may calculate that pressure applied in European capitals could weaken support for Washington's policy. Again, at this point, the EU is just dealing with general warnings. As noted earlier, there are no confirmed plots and no declared timelines. All right, coming up next, Western intelligence warns that the Kremlin may be quietly positioning assets across Europe, purchasing homes near key military installations and other infrastructure in what officials fear could be a coordinated sabotage network in the making. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, many of you may know me as the host of the President's Daily Brief, but did you know I'm also a business owner? That's right, have been for many years. And I want to take just a moment to talk with all you business owners out there. 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That's a clear look at how a once wealthy oil state unraveled and what that means, of course, for regional stability. And also his conversation with Douglas Murray where they explore the pressures facing Western democracies and what those trends mean for long term stability. Download the Jordan Harbinger Show. That's H A R B I n G E R just like it sounds R on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows. Or just go to jordanharbinger.com start to dive right in. It's one of those podcasts that makes you smarter, so give it a go. Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. The next phase of Russia's confrontation with the west may not begin with tanks crossing a border, but with a threat that is already embedded within the eu. Western intelligence agencies believe that Moscow may be acquiring properties across more than a dozen European countries as potential launchpads for sabotage. According to serving and former European intelligence officers interviewed by the Telegraph, this wasn't random real estate investing. Moscow appears to have exploited loopholes and ownership laws to acquire properties near military installations, energy grids, communications hubs and strategic transport corridors, sites close to key infrastructure and facilities. Security officials fear some of these properties may already contain pre positioned equipment such as drones or explosives, weapons and encrypted communications gear. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe has seen a surge in sabotage incidents linked to Moscow, including arson attacks in London and Warsaw, parcel bombs, assassination plots and attempted train derailments. Some intelligence officials believe those incidents were not isolated one off disruptions, but rehearsals probing for defense vulnerabilities. That's what makes this different. This is not about armored columns rolling west, it's about operating in the so called gray zone. Intelligence officials warn that the Kremlin may seek to paralyze transport networks, sever undersea cables and fracture political unity while maintaining enough ambiguity to complicate NATO's ability to invoke Article 5. Britain's new MI6 chief Blaise Metruali warned that the country is, quote, operating in a space between peace and war, saying Russia is testing Western resolve just short of direct conflict. Ukrainian President Zelensky went even further, warning that Russian President Putin has begun what he described as a third world war against the west through sustained hybrid pressure. Intelligence officials say the property strategy may mirrors what Moscow is suspected of doing at sea, using its shadow fleet to disrupt critical undersea cables on land. Property ownership provides similar access legal purchases that can double as operational footholds in what some describe as a modern day Trojan Horse strategy. Now let's look at Finland as an example. In 2018, Finnish authorities conducted a raid on properties owned by a Russian linked company, Irist and Helmi. The firm acquired 17 sites around the archipelago sea, many near key maritime routes. Close to Finland's naval command, investigators found piers and helipads, barrack style buildings and advanced communications equipment. Now, Finland ultimately prosecuted the owner for financial crimes. That was an effort to avoid a direct confrontation with the Kremlin. But officials conclude the infrastructure itself was a warning. Since then, intelligence agencies believe Moscow has shifted tactics, replicating the model in miniature, but at scale. Smaller properties and dispersed across Europe that draw less scrutiny. And that pattern is especially visible across the Nordic region. In Norway, Russia purchased cabins sitting near Arctic military installations, including properties overlooking Bardufoss air base and other military installations, notably the Russian Orthodox Church, long regarded by Western agencies as aligned with the Kremlin, acquired houses near naval bases and radar facilities in Norway and Sweden. I'm sure that was just a coincidence, but the activity isn't confined to the Nordic region. European intelligence agencies flag acquisitions near naval facilities and strategic waterways in Sicily, Crete and mainland Greece, as well as sensitive sites in London, Paris and Geneva. Now Britain is viewed as particularly vulnerable. While suspicious Russian purchases near MI6 headquarters and the US embassy have been investigated, experts warn Russia could seek vantage points near the Trident submarine base near Scotland and other sites central to NATO's deterrence posture. European security officials warn Moscow is not merely enhancing their ability to spy or surveil, but to possibly strike. The fear in European capitals is coordination that in a future confrontation, infrastructure failures could appear simultaneously drone launches from legally owned warehouses, power substations disabled from properties purchased years earlier, and communications severed from buildings that never drew attention. So you ask, how are the governments responding there in the eu? Well, the answer is unevenly. Finland imposed a near blanket ban on property purchases by Russians, prompting similar moves in Baltic states. Britain has stripped certain Russian owned estates of diplomatic status and investigated suspicious acquisitions. Yet efforts do remain fragmented. A proposed EU wide ban as an example of Russian property purchases collapsed amid resistance from member states concerned about economic fallout. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 24th February. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. That is very easy to do. I've said it before, 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.
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