PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 18th, 2026: Iran’s Security Forces Are Now On The Run & Russia Boosts Tehran’s War Effort
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What recent events have caused Iran's security forces to go into hiding?
Jos on matkalla, on suunta. Jos on suunta, tarvitsee auton. Jos on auto, tarvitsee vakuutuksen. Ja kun on Fennian autovakuutus, on vapaus. Saa apua tien päällä ja pysyy liikkeessä. Vakuuta kaikki tulevaisuutesi kilometrit. Fennian kaskovakuutuksista nyt miinos 20%. Katso tarkemmat tiedot tarjouksesta ja osta fennia.fi kautta autovakuutus. Tulevaisuutesi. Fennia.
It's Wednesday, the 18th of March. 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, new reporting reveals Iran's security forces are now on the run as Israeli strikes push regime enforcers out of their headquarters and into hiding.
How is Israel's military strategy affecting Iran's internal security?
Later in the show, Russia is now backing Iran more directly with new reporting that Moscow is providing satellite imagery and upgraded drone technology to target U.S. and allied forces. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. I want to start with some very solid new reporting from the Wall Street Journal that's giving us an inside look at what's happening inside Iran. And what we're starting to see are signs that the regime's internal security apparatus is under increasing pressure. Iran's security forces aren't operating out of established headquarters and known facilities anymore. They're not coordinating from command centers or fortified compounds. According to reports, some are now sleeping in their cars, hiding under highway overpasses, and even setting up tents in wooded areas outside Tehran, just trying to stay alive.
Now, from the outset, the U.S. focused on degrading Iran's military capabilities, its missile launchers, its air defenses, its industrial base. But Israel took on a different mission, going after the regime's internal enforcement arms, that would be the besieged militia, internal police units, and elements of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, responsible for keeping control inside the country. In other words, while the U.S. focused on Iran's military, Israel was striking at the security elements responsible for suppressing protests and maintaining internal order. The units mostly responsible for the recent murder of thousands of Iranians during the popular uprising earlier this year. And now that campaign appears to have evolved.
What role is Russia playing in supporting Iran's military capabilities?
According to the Journal, Israel has dropped roughly 10,000 munitions across thousands of targets, including more than 2,000 tied specifically to Iran's internal security forces. It started with large fixed targets, headquarters, command posts, staging areas. Then Israeli intelligence identified fallback locations, places where these forces would regroup once those facilities were destroyed. One example would be sports stadiums. For example, at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, hundreds of security personnel were reportedly killed after gathering there as part of a contingency plan. In other cases, police and militia units have taken over hospitals, forcing patients aside. But what we're seeing now is something more precise.
It's no longer just about striking locations. It's about tracking people. Israeli forces are now flying loitering surveillance and armed drones over Tehran, targeting small units, checkpoints, patrols, even individual Basij teams. In some cases, just two or three personnel at a time. In the past 24 hours, Israel says it's also killed Iran's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, in an overnight strike. If confirmed, well, that would mark the third senior Iranian official tied to internal security that's been eliminated in less than 48 hours. Part of what makes this campaign different is the level of intelligence penetration. According to the reporting, Israeli operatives are receiving tips from inside Iran, from ordinary citizens, pointing out where security forces are gathering or hiding.
What specific intelligence is Russia providing to Iran?
In one reported case, a tip led Israeli forces to a wooded area outside Tehran, where the head of the besieged militia was reportedly killed while hiding in a tent with his deputies. At the same time, there are reports of direct psychological pressure.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent events have caused Iran's security forces to go into hiding?
0:01–1:02
2
How is Israel's military strategy affecting Iran's internal security?
1:02–2:33
3
What role is Russia playing in supporting Iran's military capabilities?
2:33–4:02
4
What specific intelligence is Russia providing to Iran?
4:02–5:32
5
How are Iranian military tactics evolving with Russian support?
5:32–6:53
6
What implications does Russian assistance have for U.S. military operations?
6:53–7:47
7
How has the relationship between Iran and Russia developed over time?
7:47–8:46
8
What are the potential consequences of enhanced Iranian military capabilities?
8:46–15:55
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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