September 23rd, 2026: Britain Joins Saudi Arabia’s Fight With the Houthis & Russia’s $7 Billion Financial Network
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Why did Britain decide to send an RAF tanker to support Saudi air operations?
It's Wednesday, the 23rd of September. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, I am back on the road. And also, yes, I am wearing a cardigan. Thank you for noticing. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Saudi Arabia is getting help from Britain as the Houthi fight intensifies, with an RAF tanker heading in to support Saudi aircraft, while Riyadh works to restore a critical oil pipeline damaged in a drone attack. Later in the show, a Kremlin-backed financial network allegedly moved nearly $7 billion through major international banks using forged documents and front companies, exposing another hole in the West's effort to isolate Russia.
Plus, U.S. intelligence says Russia is once again targeting an American election using covert online influence campaigns and AI-generated content to undermine confidence ahead of the midterms. And in today's back of the brief, U.S. officials are warning that Latin American drug cartels are rapidly improving their drone capabilities, giving criminal groups new tools for surveillance, smuggling, and potentially deadly attacks. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Britain is stepping in to help Saudi Arabia as Riyadh tries to contain the Iranian-backed Houthi offensive and shore up its energy infrastructure. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the UK has agreed to deploy a Royal Air Force Voyager tanker from Cyprus to provide air-to-air refueling for Saudi aircraft.
The mission is expected to last several weeks. The UK government is describing the support as defensive. The tanker will help Saudi aircraft stay airborne longer, of course, as they respond to Houthi missile and drone attacks. Britain is not, at least for now, saying it intends to participate directly in offensive strikes inside Yemen. Still, this is a meaningful step, particularly because the Saudis have been asking allies for help as their own defenses come under increasing strain. As we discussed yesterday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had already been pressing President Trump for greater American military involvement as the Houthi offensive accelerated. Trump ultimately declined to launch U.S.
strikes despite the Pentagon reportedly preparing options that came very close to being carried out. Washington has continued providing intelligence and targeting assistance, but Britain has now gone further by putting an RAF aircraft directly into the Saudi defensive effort. And this is not the first British military support sent to the kingdom during the current conflict. London had already deployed its Sky Sabre air defense system to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The addition of an RAF tanker gives the Saudis something different, greater endurance for their own combat aircraft at a time when they're trying to defend Saudi airspace and support operations tied to the fighting in Yemen.
How is the Saudi east‑west oil pipeline being restored after the drone attack?
Riyadh clearly believes it needs the help. Saudi-backed forces have struggled to halt the Houthi advance along Yemen's western coast, while missile and drone attacks have continued to put pressure on Saudi defenses. The British deployment gives Riyadh more flexibility in the air, but it also raises an obvious question about where this goes if the Iranian proxy offensive continues to gain ground. Right now, Britain can describe this as a limited defensive mission. But once you begin providing operational support to aircraft involved in an active regional conflict, well, there's always the possibility that the mission expands. That doesn't mean that the UK is about to start bombing Yemen, but London is now more directly connected to how this fight develops.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia got some better news today on another front. The kingdom has restarted its east-west pipeline, which runs from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil-producing regions to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Before it was knocked offline, the pipeline had been carrying roughly 4 million barrels of crude per day. With total capacity closer to 7 million, the pipeline was hit in a September 11 drone attack that Saudi Arabia blamed on Iran-aligned militias operating from Iraq.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why did Britain decide to send an RAF tanker to support Saudi air operations?
0:12–3:18
2
How is the Saudi east‑west oil pipeline being restored after the drone attack?
3:18–6:52
3
What is the A7 financial network and how did it move nearly $7 billion through global banks?
6:52–9:41
4
How did forged documents and front companies help A7 evade sanctions?
9:41–12:58
5
What are the latest Russian online influence tactics targeting the U.S. midterms?
12:58–16:07
6
How is artificial intelligence being used to create fake political content?
16:07–18:11
7
Why are Latin American drug cartels rapidly advancing their drone capabilities?
18:11–20:12
8
What counter‑drone technologies is the U.S. deploying along the southern border?
20:12–23:29
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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The PDB Situation Report | September 19th, 2026: Iran’s Targeting of U.S. Forces May Be Getting More Dangerous & Putin’s Wartime Election
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 18th, 2026: Trump Nears "Big Decision" on Major Strikes Against Iran & Pakistan Rocked by Deadly Terror Attack