PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 26th, 2026: U.S. And Iran Are Shooting At Each Other Again & Russia Threatens “Systematic Strikes”
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
It's Tuesday, the 26th of May. 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, despite recent White House optimism over a potential peace deal or a ceasefire extension with Iran, U.S. and Iranian forces are exchanging fire again in the Strait of Hormuz after American strikes on Iranian mine-laying boats and missile sites overnight. Later in the show, Russia is ramping up their threats against Kiev, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly warning U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate American citizens ahead of what Moscow is calling systematic strikes on the Ukrainian capital. But first, today's afternoon spotlight.
While the White House and U.S. officials have recently been expressing optimism over a possible deal with Iran, the reality on the ground tells a different story. American and Iranian forces are once again exchanging fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. Central Command, American forces carried out what officials are calling quote, self-defense strikes overnight after Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels were reportedly caught attempting to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials say American forces sank two IRGC boats involved in the operation. But the confrontation didn't end there. According to multiple U.S. officials, Iranian forces then began firing surface-to-air missiles at American aircraft operating in the area.
In response, the U.S. military launched additional strikes against an Iranian missile launch site near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, a strategically critical location overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. Major explosions were reportedly heard across parts of southern Iran and near the Persian Gulf overnight, according to Iranian state media.
What recent events have escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran?
Now, both sides are publicly insisting they still want diplomacy to continue. But the rhetoric coming out of Tehran this morning suggests the situation does remain extremely volatile. Iran's foreign ministry warned that the Islamic Republic, quote, will not leave any evil unanswered, while senior Iranian lawmakers are threatening what they describe as a, quote, decisive and crushing response to any future American attacks, which certainly sounds diplomatic. At the same time, Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bakr Ghalibaf, has remained in Qatar for ongoing talks with mediators attempting to hammer out a broader agreement aimed at ending the conflict. Despite the military exchange, neither side appears ready, at least for now, to completely abandon negotiations or the impression that they're negotiating.
Iranian officials reportedly delayed publicly announcing casualties from the American strikes, specifically because they feared the deaths could derail the talks entirely. And from the American side, officials are also emphasizing restraint. CENTCOM says the strikes were defensive in nature and insists the broader ceasefire framework technically remains in place. Because nothing says ceasefire like an exchange of missiles. You know what? We really need to come up with a brand new word to describe a situation where you'd like to have a ceasefire, but it's not a ceasefire because the firing hasn't ceased, but you'd like everyone to think there's a ceasefire. So, send in your suggestions for a word or a term to describe that situation, and the team here at the PDB will choose a winner.
Regardless, this incident once again highlights the central problem hanging over these negotiations. The U.S. and Iran are effectively trying to negotiate a peace deal, while both militaries remain fully armed, fully deployed, and actively operating against one another in one of the most crowded and dangerous waterways on Earth. The situation is made even more complicated by the fact that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains active, even while negotiations supposedly, possibly, reportedly continue. Iran, meanwhile, continues demanding access to frozen financial assets and guarantees surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, issues that, of course, remain major sticking points in the supposed talks.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:12–2:06
2
What recent events have escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran?
2:06–7:21
3
How did the U.S. respond to Iranian military actions in the Strait of Hormuz?
7:21–14:09
4
What are the implications of Iran's threats following U.S. strikes?
14:09–14:18
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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