PDB Afternoon Bulletin | February 5th, 2025: Trump Threatens To 'Obliterate' Iran & CIA Offers Buyouts To Entire Workforce
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What did Trump say about Iran's threats?
It's Wednesday, 5 February. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First, we'll look at a press conference from President Donald Trump where he warned Iran that he's left instructions for their total obliteration if they move to assassinate him. He later walked back his aggressive rhetoric and said he's eager to strike a new nuclear deal with the mullahs. That'll keep the regime guessing. Then, the White House is moving to shake up the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency, offering buyouts that would provide full pay and benefits for eight months to employees in exchange for their resignations. But first, our afternoon spotlight.
President Trump has offered competing visions, to say the least, for future relations with Iran, issuing fresh military threats against the regime while also saying that he's eager to negotiate a new nuclear deal. As we discussed on this morning's PDB, Trump issued an executive order Tuesday. reinstating his maximum pressure strategy against Iran, which aims to prevent the mullahs from obtaining a nuclear weapon and aims to cripple their oil exports through aggressive sanctions. During the signing ceremony for the executive order, Trump also sent a shot across the bow, warning that if Iran carries out his assassination, his national security team will ensure that the Islamic regime is completely obliterated. And that's according to a report from Fox News.
Now, Iran has long been trying to assassinate Trump and former national security officials from his first administration over the 2020 killing of Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. The Justice Department confirmed in November that they had thwarted an active Iranian assassination plot against Trump in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. Given the ongoing threat, Trump said he's already left instructions for Iran's destruction in the unlikely event that the mullahs succeed. When asked about the threats on his life from Iran and its proxies, Trump said, "...that would be a terrible thing for them to do. Not because of me. If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I've left instructions, he said.
If they do it, there won't be anything left." Despite his fiery rhetoric, while signing the quote, maximum pressure executive order, Trump also said, quote, hopefully we're not going to have to use it, though he didn't elaborate on what that meant. Then, on Wednesday morning, Trump dramatically softened his stance, saying in a post on Truth Social that he wants to immediately start working on a new nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that would allow the country to, quote, peacefully grow and prosper. Trump stated, quote, reports that the U.S., working in conjunction with Israel, are going to blow up Iran into smithereens are greatly exaggerated. And he used all caps for are greatly exaggerated. I would much prefer a verified nuclear peace agreement. Trump added, quote, we should start working on it immediately and have a big Middle East celebration when it's signed and completed.
What is Trump's new approach to a nuclear deal with Iran?
God bless the Middle East, end quote. Now, Iran has not yet responded to the whiplash-inducing turnaround by Trump. However, earlier on Tuesday, their foreign minister slammed Trump's actions to reimpose energy sanctions, claiming his maximum pressure campaign would fail, while also denying that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon. But reports suggest that the mullahs of Tehran are eager to take the diplomatic route with Trump, as they see him as an existential threat to their significantly weakened regime. Coming up, the Trump administration is moving to shake up the Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, offering buyouts that would provide full pay and benefits for eight months to all employees in exchange for their resignations. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's talk about your online security.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What did Trump say about Iran's threats?
0:12–3:30
2
What is Trump's new approach to a nuclear deal with Iran?
3:30–7:13
3
How is the CIA being shaken up under the Trump administration?
7:13
4
What are the implications of Trump's military threats against Iran?
1:49–7:31
5
What buyout offers are being made to CIA employees?
7:31–9:48
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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