Mike Baker

From Tehran's perspective, groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis are not just allies.

They form part of their broader regional network that allows Iran to project influence and, frankly, instability far beyond its borders.

When Israel targets one piece of that network, Iranian leaders increasingly appear willing to respond directly.

Adding another layer of complexity are reports of growing disagreements between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over how aggressively to confront Iran and its proxies.

President Trump publicly called for both sides to stop firing and has reportedly expressed frustration with actions that could jeopardize supposed ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Of course, the U.S.

and Iran have also been exchanging fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz for almost the entire time that the supposed ceasefire has been in place.

For now, both Israel and Iran appear to be signaling that they don't want a return to a full-scale conflict.

But the overnight exchange serves as a reminder that the underlying issues driving the confrontation remain unresolved.

And for that, I award myself today's PDB Statement of the Obvious Trophy.

All right, coming up next, prosecutors say a former U.S.

Navy sailor was caught plotting an ISIS-inspired attack against American special forces operators, allegedly seeking drones, rockets, and other weapons for that mission.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here.

Now, regular PDB listeners know that I'm on the road a lot, right?

Constantly packing a bag, keeping track of essential travel gear.

And that means including charging cords.

You know what I'm talking about for phones, laptops, podcast gear.

And here's the thing.

More often than not, I've forgotten at least one of those charging cords, or misplaced it, or one of my kids have walked off with it, or typically I leave it on an airplane or in a hotel.