March 17th, 2026: Iran’s Missile Campaign Breaking Down & Hezbollah Link In Michigan

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It's Tuesday, the 17th of March.

Welcome to the President's Daily Brief.

I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.

Alright, let's get briefed.

And first up, an update on the war with Iran.

I'll walk you through where things stand on day 17 of Operation Epic Fury, including

why Tehran's missile and drone attacks appear to be slowing and how much longer this campaign

could last.

Later in the show, new details emerge about the man behind the attack on a Jewish preschool

in Michigan.

Israeli officials now say the suspect's brother was a Hezbollah commander raising new questions

about possible terrorist connections.

Really, I mean, we're still questioning whether there were terrorist connections.

Plus, Cuba's power grid collapses, plunging the island into darkness as the country's economic

crisis worsens.

And in today's back of the brief, Russia temporarily shuts down mobile internet in parts

of Moscow as the Kremlin tests new systems designed to control online information during

protests or political unrest.

Wait, the Kremlin, suppressing information, telling people what to think, nah, it doesn't

sound right.

But first, today's PDB spotlight.

It's now day 17 of Operation Epic Fury, perhaps you've heard about this, and I thought

I'd start things off with an overview of where things stand right now, and some of the

major outstanding questions that remain, and there are a few.

According to US Central Command, since the start of the war, the United States military

has flown roughly 6,000 combat sorties over Iran, carried out by the Navy Air Force and Marine

Corps.

Those missions have focused on degrading Iran's missile launchers drone infrastructure,

air defenses, and other key military assets, and that pace of operations gives you a sense

of just how large this campaign has already become, and how determined Washington and Jerusalem

appear to be to systematically dismantle Iran's ability to wage this war.

Now one major ongoing question has been Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones

at US facilities in the region, and at its neighbors, and on that front, it does appear

that its capabilities have been diminished dramatically.

In the early days of the war, Iran unleashed massive barrages across the Gulf, countries

like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia reported waves, ballistic missiles

and hundreds of drones targeting US bases, energy infrastructure, and major cities.

To many people's surprise, the UAE bore the brunt of these attacks, that the UAE alone

was on the receiving end of hundreds of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles in the first

several days of the conflict, with most reportedly intercepted by air defenses.

But since those opening salvos, the volume of Iranian attacks has fallen sharply.

Data compiled from Gulf Defense Ministries and outside analysts shows that the number

of missiles and drones being launched has dropped significantly compared to the first

days of the war.

Some estimates suggest missile launches have fallen by roughly 90 to 95 percent since

those opening strikes, as Iran's ability to sustain large barrages appears to be eroding.

To be clear, that doesn't mean that the threat has disappeared.

Iran continues to launch attacks across the Gulf, including drone strikes on infrastructure

and airports.

Israel also continues to come under daily cluster bomb attacks, largely targeting major

population centers.

And compared to the widespread barrages that opened the conflict, the data suggests that

Iran's ability to maintain that tempo of attacks has been significantly degraded.

Now, in addition to the air campaign, of course, there's also the maritime front.

US Central Command announced yesterday that coalition strikes have damaged or destroyed

more than 100 Iranian naval vessels since the start of the conflict.

That number includes not only larger patrol ships, but also smaller craft, mind-laying boats

and the fast attack speedboats frequently used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Corps Navy.

Now, that number sounds impressive, but it's worth noting that Iran doesn't need much

to continue disrupting traffic through the state of Hormuz, which they have done, frankly,

successfully.

That's because the strategy that Iran relies on in the Gulf isn't built around large

warships.

Instead, it's designed around asymmetric tactics, small fast vessels, sea mines, and mobile

missile launchers positioned along Iran's coastline.

Even a relatively small number of surviving speedboats who are mind-laying craft can threaten

commercial shipping in the narrow channel where tankers must pass.

And the geography works in Iran's favor.

At its narrowest point, the state of Hormuz is only about 21 miles wide, with the actual

shipping lanes running through even tighter corridors.

That makes it easier, of course, for Iran to deploy mines and launch drones or stage harassment

attacks with fastboats, forcing insurers and shipping companies to think twice about

sending vessels through the waterway.

The reality is, the regime has managed to almost stop the commercial tanker traffic

through the state, with the exception of Iranian oil heading mostly to China.

So while U.S. and Israeli strikes have clearly taken a heavy toll on Iran's naval assets,

Tehran doesn't need a large fleet to continue creating problems in the state.

In a choke point like Hormuz, even a limited number of mines or missiles or speedboats can

be enough to keep global energy markets on edge.

Now the main question on everyone's mind is just how long this campaign will continue,

and perhaps the clearest indication of an answer is coming from Israel's side.

According to Israeli military officials, the war effort is proceeding according to plan,

and in some areas even faster than expected.

But even so, Israeli commanders say that preparing for at least three more weeks of operations

inside Iran.

The reason is simple, the target list remains enormous.

Military planners say thousands of additional sites tied to Iran's missile program, drone

production, and military infrastructure still remain to be hit, both in Tehran and across

the country.

So while the campaign may be moving quickly, the scope of the remaining targets suggests

the US and Israel still have a long way to go before achieving their objectives.

And until the state of Hormuz becomes reliably passable again, until tankers can move through

the waterway without the constant threat of mines, missiles, or harassment from Iranian

speedboats, the broader strategic objective of this campaign remains unfinished.

In many ways, reopening that narrow stretch of water may ultimately prove more important

than aerosolts over Iran.

Now there's one more interesting, rather unusual Iran-related story that I wanted to mention

before we move on.

According to reporting out of Washington, President Trump was briefed this past week on suggesting

that Iran's new supreme leader, Moshtabah Hamani, may be gay, something that US intelligence

officials reportedly believe is credible based on sensitive sources.

The reporting says Trump reacted with surprise and laughter during the briefing, and that

the information has circulated quietly within the intelligence community for some time.

It should go without saying that if that's true, it would carry enormous political implications

inside Iran.

The Islamic Republic criminalizes homosexual conduct, and the regime has a long record

of brutally punishing people accused of it.

That means the mere existence of this kind of allegation, whether it proves accurate

or not, could become a significant vulnerability for Hamani, as he tries to consolidate power

during the most dangerous moment the Iranian regime has faced in decades.

Alright, coming up next, new details emerge about the man behind the attack on a Jewish

preschool in synagogue in Michigan.

As Israeli officials say the suspect's brother is a Khazbullah commander, while Cuba's

power grid collapses, plunging the island deeper into crisis.

I'll be right back.

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I want to follow up on a story that we covered last week involving what federal authorities

describe as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community at a synagogue in Michigan.

At the time, investigators were working to understand the suspect's motive and background.

Now, new reporting is beginning to fill those gaps, including his family ties to Hasbola.

As we discussed, the attack unfolded Thursday in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, and

home to Temple Israel, one of the largest reform synagogues in the US.

Federal authorities say the suspect drove a truck packed with fireworks and gasoline

jugs into the complex, crashing through the entrance and barreling down a hallway inside

the building.

The vehicle came to a halt near classrooms at the synagogue's early childhood center

where children as young as four years old were present.

Officials say no one was injured, thanks in large part to the fast actions of Temple Israel's

private security team, which confronted the attacker after the crash.

Authorities say he exchanged gunfire with an armed guard before becoming trapped inside

the vehicle after it caught fire.

Investigators say the attacker ultimately shot himself inside the burning truck.

Now, the suspect was later identified as 41-year-old Iman Muhammad Ghazali, and to naturalize

US citizen originally from Lebanon.

At the time of the attack, federal officials said the investigation was ongoing, and that

a motive had not yet been confirmed.

Early reporting from the Associated Press noted that Ghazali had reportedly lost several

family members in an Israeli airstrike just days before his attack.

But as investigators continue digging, another piece of the story has begun to emerge, and

it's a significant one.

According to a statement released by the Israeli Defense Forces, the IDF, Ghazali's

brother, identified as Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, serves as a Hezbollah commander responsible

for managing weapons operations within a specialized branch of the terror groups of

a border unit.

Now, the IDF says that unit is responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli

civilians during the ongoing conflict with Iran.

In other words, the man who carried out an attack on a Jewish synagogue in Michigan appears

to come from a family network tied directly to one of Iran's most dangerous terrorist

proxies.

That could be a clue regarding his motivation.

And that revelation naturally raises another question.

How did someone with those kinds of family ties end up living in the U.S. in the first

place?

Well, according to the Department of Homeland Security, Ghazali was admitted to the U.S.

in 2011 as the spouse of an American citizen and later obtained citizenship in 2016 under

President Obama's term.

A development that now raises serious questions about how someone with direct ties to Hezbollah

was even able to enter the country and eventually obtain citizenship.

Well, I've got a potential answer.

One answer could be that vetting and due diligence on folks entering the country is

pathetically ineffective.

Yeah, that could be possibly an answer.

I want to be clear that federal authorities have not formally labeled the incident an

act of terrorism.

The FBI has instead described it as what it calls a targeted act of violence.

But what the old saying is, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it could

be a terrorist sympathizing duck.

I think that's the old saying.

Okay, now I want to turn to Cuba now where the situation on the island continues to deteriorate.

According to reports, Cuba's national power grid has suffered a total collapse plunging

much of the country into darkness and marking the latest in a series of nationwide blackouts

that have hit the country.

Officials say efforts are under way to restore electricity, but the outage shows just how

fragile Cuba's energy system is becoming.

The island's aging power infrastructure has struggled for years with the chronic underinvestment,

outdated equipment, and fuel shortages.

But the current crisis appears to have reached a new level.

Cuba relies heavily on imported oil to generate electricity, and shipments of fuel to the island

have completely dried up in recent months.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canal acknowledged recently that no oil shipments have arrived

in the country for the past three months, and without those deliveries, the country's

power plants simply can't produce enough electricity to keep the grid functioning.

Even before the collapse, rolling blackouts had become routine.

Hospitals and clinics have struggled with intermittent power.

Food refrigeration has been disrupted tourism, one of the few reliable sources of hard currency

for the Cuban government has taken a major hit.

Fuel shortages have also driven prices to extraordinary levels on the island's black

market.

In some cases, Cubans are reportedly paying as much as $300 to fill up a car's gas tank.

It's a staggering figure, and a country where the average monthly salary is only a small

fraction of that amount.

Not surprisingly, the worsening conditions have fueled growing public frustration.

The blackouts and shortages have sparked protests across the island, and officials in

Havana are clearly aware that the country's economic crisis is becoming increasingly difficult

to manage.

And now, the growing crisis inside the country appears to be softening the regime somewhat,

and forcing them to make some major concessions, or at least talk about making major concessions.

Cuba's top economic official says the government is preparing a significant policy shift that

would allow Cuban Americans living abroad to invest directly in the island's private sector,

and even own businesses in their home country.

If implemented, the move would represent one of the most significant economic openings

in Cuba since the early years of the revolution.

When the communist government nationalized most private industry, after Fidel Castro came

to power.

Well, thanks, Fidel.

That worked out really well.

Cuban officials say the goal is to create what they describe as a, quote, more dynamic

business environment that could help revive several struggling sectors of the economy,

from tourism and mining, to modernizing the country's outdated electrical grid.

As we've reported, Cuban leaders have publicly confirmed that talks are underway with

officials in Washington, aimed at addressing long-standing disputes between the two countries.

Details of those discussions remain scarce, but the fact that they're acknowledging them

publicly suggests that Havana may be looking for ways to ease the economic pressure that's

now bearing down on the island.

For his part, President Trump has signaled that the administration may be open to some

form of economic agreement.

Speaking recently to reporters, he described Cuba as a failed nation, but also suggested

that a deal between Washington and Havana could come together relatively quickly.

Now whether that happens remains to be seen, of course.

But what is clear is that Cuba's deepening economic and energy crisis is forcing the

government to consider changes that would have been almost unthinkable just a few short

years ago.

Alright, coming up next in the back of the brief, Russia cuts mobile internet in parts

of Moscow while testing new nationwide censorship systems.

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In today's back of the brief, we turn to Russia, where the Kremlin appears to be testing

a new tool for controlling information, cutting off mobile internet access, even in Moscow,

and what may be a rehearsal for nationwide censorship during periods of political unrest.

Now, here's what that actually looks like on the ground.

Over the past several days, people in Moscow have suddenly discovered that their mobile

internet simply isn't working.

In a city of more than 13 million people that relies on digital services, well, the impact

of course, has been immediate.

According to the Wall Street Journal, commuters stepping out of Moscow subway stations have

been unable to order taxis, open navigation apps, or even send basic messages.

Some residents have been forced into shops just to find working Wi-Fi.

Others say they've been asking strangers for directions for the first time in years.

So, you ask, what is going on here?

Now, the Kremlin insists these outages are necessary for security.

Russian officials claim the outages are to defend against Ukrainian drone attacks, which

they say can use local cell towers for navigation.

But many civilians and even local officials aren't buying that explanation.

Instead, Russians say they may be seeing something far more significant, a real-world test

of a system that the Kremlin has been quietly building for years.

One designed to give Russian President Putin's regime the ability to shut down or control

the internet whenever unrest sparks.

And if you're a regular PDB listener, you know that this isn't a new idea among authoritarian

regimes.

Russia's approach closely mirrors tactics we tracked in Iran during its recent protests,

when the mullahs shut down large portions of the internet while allowing regime insiders

to remain connected through a parallel network.

In Iran's case, so-called white SIM cards allowed loyalists to retain internet access while

ordinary citizens were cut off.

The system the Moscow has been testing would allow authorities to keep certain government

approved websites online while cutting off access to the broader internet.

Those approved platforms include official government portals, state media outlets, and domestic

apps such as Macs, which is a Kremlin-controlled messaging service, promoted as a replacement

for telegram.

At the same time, the Kremlin steadily moved to restrict foreign platforms that allow

Russians to communicate outside the government's control, throttling or intermittently blocking

messaging services like WhatsApp as regulators push schools and government offices to migrate

towards state-approved systems that can be easily monitored.

And this tightening grip on Russia's internet has been building for years.

In 2016, Russia blocked LinkedIn entirely.

The Kremlin later slowed access to Twitter, now, of course, known as X.

And more recently, regulators restricted access to YouTube, widely used by Russians seeking

information that contradicts government narratives.

But what's happening now appears to be on a much larger scale.

Across dozens of Russian regions spanning the country's 11 time zones, mobile data has

gone offline, including in areas thousands of miles from the fighting in Ukraine.

Take the Khmchak peninsula, please.

Okay, sorry, that's an odd doing old Hany Youngman joke.

And this may be the only podcast where you'll get a reference to Hany Youngman.

Okay, anyway, the Khmchak peninsula.

Look, it sits some 4,500 miles from the war's front lines.

Regional officials there appeal directly to Moscow to restore internet access, citing

no threat of a drone or missile attack in the war's four years.

In other words, the outages are happening in places nowhere near the threats the Kremlin

claims to be defending against.

Including questions about the regime's explanation.

The consequences of censorship of being felt across Russian society.

A Kremlin line newspaper even reported that the internet outages in Moscow alone caused

roughly $63 million in business losses over a five-day period.

Now to be fair, the consequences of censorship have been felt in Russia for over a hundred

years.

But technology developments over the years have made the task ever easier for the Kremlin's

censors.

And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Tuesday 17th March.

Now if you end up with a free minute or two in your busy day, I hope you'll check out

our YouTube channel.

All you have to do is head on over to YouTube, of course, and search up at president's

daily brief.

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button.

I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin.

Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.