March 17th, 2026: Iran’s Missile Campaign Breaking Down & Hezbollah Link In Michigan
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Once upon a time there was a pessimist, an optimist and a sadist. The pessimist was always afraid of the worst. The optimist wished for the best and even thought of the worst. What about the sadist? Well, the sadist succeeded. Sadist succeeds! Sadist!
It's Tuesday, the 17th of March. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, an update on the war with Iran. I'll walk you through where things stand on day 17 of Operation Epic Fury, including why Tehran's missile and drone attacks appear to be slowing and how much longer this campaign could last. Later in the show, new details emerge about the man behind the attack on a Jewish preschool in Michigan. Israeli officials now say the suspect's brother was a Hezbollah commander, raising new questions about possible terrorist connections. Really? I mean, we're still questioning whether there were terrorist connections?
Plus, Cuba's power grid collapses, plunging the island into darkness as the country's economic crisis worsens. And in today's Back of the Brief, Russia temporarily shuts down mobile Internet in parts of Moscow as the Kremlin tests new systems designed to control online information during protests or political unrest. Wait, the Kremlin? Suppressing information? Telling people what to think? That doesn't sound right. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. It's now day 17 of Operation Epic Fury, perhaps you've heard about this, and I thought I'd start things off with an overview of where things stand right now, and some of the major outstanding questions that remain, and there are a few. According to U.S. Central Command, since the start of the war, the United States military has flown roughly 6,000 combat sorties over Iran, carried out by the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
Those missions have focused on degrading Iran's missile launchers, drone infrastructure, air defenses, and other key military assets And that pace of operations gives you a sense of just how large this campaign has already become And how determined Washington and Jerusalem appear to be to systematically dismantle Iran's ability to wage this war Now, one major ongoing question has been Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones at U.S. facilities in the region and at its neighbors. And on that front, it does appear that its capabilities have been diminished dramatically. In the early days of the war, Iran unleashed massive barrages across the Gulf. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia reported waves of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones targeting U.S.
bases, energy infrastructure, and major cities. To many people surprised, the UAE bore the brunt of these attacks. Now, the UAE alone was on the receiving end of hundreds of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles in the first several days of the conflict, with most reportedly intercepted by air defenses. But since those opening salvos, the volume of Iranian attacks has fallen sharply. Data compiled from Gulf defense ministries and outside analysts shows that the number of missiles and drones being launched has dropped significantly compared to the first days of the war. Some estimates suggest missile launches have fallen by roughly 90 to 95 percent since those opening strikes, as Iran's ability to sustain large barrages appears to be eroding.
To be clear, that doesn't mean that the threat has disappeared. Iran continues to launch attacks across the Gulf, including drone strikes on infrastructure and airports. Israel also continues to come under daily cluster bomb attacks, largely targeting major population centers.
What is the current status of Iran's missile campaign?
But compared to the widespread barrages that opened the conflict, the data suggests that Iran's ability to maintain that tempo of attacks has been significantly degraded. Now, in addition to the air campaign, of course, there's also the maritime front. U.S. Central Command announced yesterday that coalition strikes have damaged or destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels since the start of the conflict.
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