May 25th, 2026: The U.S. And Iran May Have A Deal

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Previously titled “May 25th, 2026:” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026

The President's Daily Brief 26 min 3 speakers 2 chapters transcribed 3 months ago

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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What does Memorial Day represent for Americans?

Mike Baker 0:12

It's Monday, the 25th of May. Well, for those of you in the U.S., it's Memorial Day, the classic start of summer, end of school for many kids, although some of you still have a few weeks to go. The beginning of cookout season, lake and beach trips, and of course, most importantly, an opportunity to take a moment and remember all those who served and sacrificed for the nation. Now, that can get lost in the excitement and activities of a long weekend, but I hope that you'll take that moment to remember and to tell your kids, if you have kids, about the purpose of the holiday. And then, of course, well, open up the cooler, grab a cold one, and get grillin'. And with that, welcome to the President's Daily Brief.

Mike Baker 0:55

I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, the U.S. and Iran have reportedly agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though major questions surrounding Tehran's nuclear program remain unanswered. And as of now, the two sides are describing the supposed agreement in different terms. We'll look at what all that might mean. Later in the show, new details emerge from CIA Director John Ratcliffe's trip to Havana, Cuba, including reports that he brought along a paramilitary operator who was involved in the capture of Nicolas Maduro. Plus, Russia unleashes one of its largest aerial assaults on Kiev since the start of the war, reportedly using its nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missiles.

Mike Baker 1:43

And in today's Back of the Brief, a tense standoff erupts between Chinese and Taiwanese Coast Guard ships near the strategically sensitive Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. But first, today's BDB Spotlight. After months of escalating conflict, economic warfare, and repeated threats of a wider regional war, the US and Iran now may be closer than they've been in weeks to a deal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and temporarily ease one of the most dangerous crises facing the global economy. According to multiple reports from the New York Times and Axios, Washington and Tehran have supposedly now agreed, in principle anyway, to a framework that would reopen the strategic waterway in exchange for a series of preliminary Iranian nuclear concessions and limited economic relief.

Mike Baker 2:34

But despite the optimism coming from the White House, the agreement has not yet been finalized, and many of the hardest and most contentious issues reportedly remain unresolved. According to U.S. officials, the proposed agreement would begin with a 60-day memorandum of understanding between the two sides. During that period, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, remove naval mines that it deployed in the waterway, and allow commercial shipping to resume freely without tolls or interference. Mind you, the regime has previously admitted that they aren't sure of the location of all the mines that they've deployed. In exchange, the U.S. would begin lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports and issue sanctions waivers allowing Iran to resume oil exports.

Mike Baker 3:20

The disruption of shipping in the strait in recent months has rattled global energy markets, driven up fuel costs worldwide, and intensified fears that the conflict could spiral into a much broader regional war. The White House is clearly eager to ease that pressure, particularly with the midterm elections coming up and voters unhappy with the rising prices at the fuel pumps. But the bigger question is what exactly Iran is agreeing to in return. According to U.S. officials, Tehran has agreed, quote, in principle, to dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and negotiate over limitations to its enrichment program. On the surface, if accurate, well, that sounds significant. But there's an important catch here.

Mike Baker 4:04

Exactly how Iran would dispose of that uranium and how much of it would actually leave the country, well, that question remains unresolved. And, of course, these comments about the agreement are coming from U.S. officials, who have repeatedly displayed over-optimism on negotiations, only to be frustrated with lack of actual progress.