March 26th, 2026: Hardliners Seize Control In Iran & Russian Drones Violate NATO Airspace
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It's Thursday, the 26th 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, Tehran moves fast to replace a top official killed in recent strikes, installing an individual from their security apparatus with a hardline reputation, underscoring just who appears to be calling the shots in Iran. Later in the show, Russia's latest drone barrage spills into NATO territory as Estonia and Latvia report airspace violations during a major attack on Ukraine. Plus, the U.S. has quietly ramped up fuel shipments to Cuba's private sector, signaling a new strategy to assist the citizens of Cuba while undercutting the communist leadership.
And in today's Back of the Brief, looking to add a few attack drones to your shopping cart? Well, who isn't? Apparently, Iranian Shahed-style attack drones are now showing up in online marketplaces. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Iran has moved quickly to fill one of the most critical vacancies in its leadership, appointing former Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Bakr Zulkadar as the new head of the Supreme National Security Council. He's replacing Ali Larajani, who until his demise during recent U.S.-Israeli strikes had effectively emerged as the man running the show in Iran. Now, this may look like a routine succession. One leader goes, another one comes in. But in reality, it does tell us something important about where power in Iran now resides.
Zulkadar is not a technocrat or a political compromise candidate. He's a longtime insider of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, a hardliner. who's spent decades inside and around security and enforcement apparatus. He's held senior roles across the system, from the Interior Ministry, where he oversaw internal security, to the Armed Forces General Staff, and also advising the judiciary on crime prevention. He's also been tied to hardline political movements, helping organize conservative electoral blocs aligned with the regime's ideologues. And when you place someone like that at the center of the Supreme National Security Council, the body coordinating Iran's military and foreign policies, you're not just filling a vacancy, you're reinforcing the reality that Iran is now being run, more than ever, by its security apparatus, specifically the IRGC.
Today, I want to take a look at who's actually still standing inside Iran's leadership. We'll start with the big picture. Iran is no longer operating like a traditional top-down theocracy. The system built under Ali Khamenei, where ultimate authority flowed clearly from the supreme leader down through political and religious institutions, has been badly disrupted. In its place, what's emerging looks much more like a wartime command structure, with overlapping centers of power and far less clarity about who's actually in charge. At the center of that shift is the IRGC, which has now solidified its position as the most powerful force inside the Iranian system. That trend has been building for years, but the recent strikes that killed off key figures, including Larajani, have accelerated it dramatically.
If the IRGC, then, is the muscle, then the Supreme National Security Council, the body that Zulkadar now runs, is the brain trust. The council is responsible for coordinating Iran's military strategy, intelligence operations, and foreign policy. It brings together senior government officials, intel chiefs, and top IRGC commanders,
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–5:18
2
What recent changes have occurred in Iran's leadership?
5:18–6:53
3
How are Russian drones violating NATO airspace?
6:53–8:16
4
What new strategy is the U.S. using to support Cuba's private sector?
8:16–8:49
5
What concerns are raised about Shahed-style drones in online marketplaces?
8:49–9:53
6
Who is Mohammad Bakr Zulkadar and what does his appointment signify for Iran?
9:53–17:50
7
How is the Iranian power structure evolving under the current regime?
17:50–22:58
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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