The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | April 17th, 2025: Trump Calls Off Strike On Iran & Hamas Struggles To Pay Fighters
17 Apr 2025
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: President Trump has called off U.S. support for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program. Later in the show—Hamas isn’t just losing ground on the battlefield. The group is reportedly in financial freefall, struggling to pay its fighters as war costs mount. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
Looking to diversify your savings? Well, schedule a free consultation with Birch Gold Group, the precious metals specialist. Look, just text PDB to 989-898 and you'll receive a free no-obligation information kit and learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k to a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to the number 989-898. It's Thursday, the 17th of April. Welcome to the BDB Afternoon Bulletin.
I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off today with new reporting on a major decision from President Trump. A planned Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities was reportedly scrapped after top U.S. officials raised doubts, preferring instead to try and reach a deal with the mullahs on their nuclear program.
Later in the show, Hamas isn't just facing military losses in its war with Israel. The group is reportedly in a cash crunch, struggling to pay its fighters. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. Well, it turns out the U.S. came closer to a potential war with Iran than many realized.
According to the New York Times, President Trump recently put the brakes on a planned Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program after a fierce internal debate within his own administration. The strike, which could have been launched as soon as next month, would have required significant U.S. military support. And for a while, it looked like Washington might provide it.
Let's start with what Israel had in mind. According to the report, officials in Tel Aviv had drawn up plans for a multi-phase attack aimed at setting back Tehran's nuclear ambitions by a year or more. Initially, they hoped to pair airstrikes with commando raids on underground nuclear sites.
But when it became clear that the commando teams wouldn't be ready in time, Israel pivoted to a broader bombing campaign, one that would have required American aircraft, intelligence, and logistics in order to be successful. And here's where the U.S. comes in. As we've been reporting here on the PDB, US military assets have been building up across the region for weeks.
A second aircraft carrier, missile defense systems, and long-range B-2 bombers were deployed to Diego Garcia, moves that were publicly framed as part of the ongoing conflict with the Houthis in Yemen. But privately, officials now say that the firepower was also about preparing for a potential operation against Iran. Even basing US fighters in Israel was reportedly under consideration.
The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, was dispatched to Jerusalem to sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and the head of Mossad. They discussed various options, including not just direct strikes, but covert sabotage operations and tighter sanctions enforcement. But as planning progressed, reportedly, cracks began to show inside the Trump administration.
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence at DNI, presented a new intelligence assessment warning that military action could spiral into a broader regional war. Her concerns were echoed by top officials, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Vice President J.D. Vance.
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