The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 30th, 2025: Iranian Unrest Explodes & North Korea Goes Nuclear at Sea
30 Dec 2025
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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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 up, pressure is building inside Iran, where a collapsing economy has driven protesters into the streets and security forces are struggling to contain the unrest. I'll have the details.
Later in the show, North Korea has unveiled what it claims is its first nuclear-powered submarine, a vessel equal in size, reportedly, to some of the U.S. Navy's attack subs. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. It's a story we've been watching closely here on the PDB, the simmering unrest inside Iran.
And based on internal reports and outside observers, it's beginning to look like that simmer may be starting to boil over. How's that for wordplay? Over the past several days, protests have erupted across Iran, spilling into major cities and commercial hubs, including Tehran itself.
Crowds have taken to the streets, shops have closed their doors, and security forces have responded with tear gas and batons and mass deployments of security personnel onto the streets. Videos circulating online show chaotic scenes, smoke hanging over city streets, protesters scattering and regrouping and chanting slogans that go well beyond simple economic grievances.
This isn't just another flash protest, of which there have been many over the years, all of which have fizzled out in short order under the aggressive and brutal response from the mullahs and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC. What we're seeing now appears broader, more coordinated, and more politically charged than many of the demonstrations Iran has faced in recent years.
At the center of the unrest is the collapse of the nation's economy. Iran's currency has plunged to historic lows, gutting purchasing power and wiping out savings almost overnight. Inflation is soaring, prices for basic food items, fuel, and household goods are climbing fast. For ordinary Iranians, well, the math simply doesn't work anymore.
Now, one of the most significant developments here is where the protests are happening. Demonstrations have spread beyond student groups or isolated neighborhoods. Merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, a place with deep historical and political significance, have shut their stalls in protest.
That matters because when the bazaars close, it signals that unrest has moved from the margins into the core of Iranian society. The chants tell another important story. Protesters aren't just demanding lower prices or economic relief. Many are openly targeting the leadership itself with slogans aimed at the regime and top figures.
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Chapter 2: What is causing the unrest in Iran?
Those demonstrations were widespread and emotionally powerful, but the regime ultimately crushed them through force and arrests and fear. This time, however, the underlying pressure points look even more severe and more of the population is directly affected. The economy is weaker, sanctions continue to bite, and oil revenues are constrained.
Infrastructure problems, power shortages, a severe water scarcity are leading to growing public frustration, and its recent conflict with Israel apparently has shaken confidence in the regime's ability to provide stability or security at home. There's also the issue of legitimacy.
For decades, Iran's leadership has balanced repression with a promise that it could at least manage the basics of daily life, jobs and subsidies and stability. When that promise collapses along with the currency, anger tends to spread quickly. Still, it is important to be clear-eyed here or pragmatic. The Islamic regime in Tehran is unlikely to disappear overnight because of some protests.
Its security apparatus remains powerful, loyal, and experienced in suppressing dissent. The IRGC, which is the guarantor of security for the mullahs, well, they have their hooks in every sector of society and the economy. Regime change would dry up their revenue streams and their authority.
So, obviously, the IRGC has a great deal at stake, and they've got little downside to sticking with their playbook of crushing dissent. There's no indication, at least not yet, that the regime is on the brink of collapse. So far, this is just pressure, not a revolution. But it is real pressure.
The protests are spreading geographically, the demands are sharpening politically, and the regime is being forced to respond on multiple fronts at once. For now, the streets remain contested. Protesters are testing just how far they can push. Security forces are testing how much force they need to apply. And Iran's leadership is trying to decide whether repression alone will be enough this time.
All right, coming up next, Pyongyang shows off what it says is its first nuclear-powered submarine, signaling a potentially major leap in North Korea's naval capabilities. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, as we move into the new year, which of course is just around the corner, many of us are looking to build more intentional lives, right?
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Chapter 3: How are protests in Iran different from previous demonstrations?
South Korea has wanted a nuclear-powered submarine for years, but was boxed in by a longstanding agreement with Washington. Following President Trump's green light, building one could still take Seoul at least a decade. By contrast, last week's images suggest Pyongyang may be close. The submarine could already house a nuclear reactor, leaving only integration, testing, and launch.
And that could be accelerated by Kim's growing relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin. This may be a perfect case study in how North Korea is benefiting from a closer relationship with Russia since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Kim's willingness to provide Moscow with ammunition and weaponry and troops, well, that hasn't been a pro bono effort.
Part of the payback has been increased weapons technology transfer to the hermit kingdom. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Tuesday, the 30th of December.
Chapter 4: What economic factors are fueling the protests in Iran?
If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. Of course, to listen to the show ad-free, it's really very simple. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.