PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 1st, 2026: DOLPHIN WARFARE? Iran Signals New Threats in Strait of Hormuz & DHS Shutdown Ends Without ICE Funding

It's Friday, the 1st of May. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Alright, let's get briefed.

First up, Iran is reportedly exploring unconventional ways to strike U.S. forces, including using mind carrying dolphins to target U.S. warships in the strait of Hormuz.

Regardless, as tensions rise, Tecran is also signaling a possible return to negotiations while Washington weighs its next steps.

Later in the show, after nearly 11 weeks, the longest shutdown in the Department of Homeland Security history has come to an end. But the fight over immigration enforcement that caused it is far from over.

Because, of course, dysfunctional politics are never over in Washington, D.C. I'll have the details.

But first in today's afternoon spotlight. We begin today with a closer look at the increasingly unpredictable in some cases, unconventional ways that Iran may be preparing to escalate the conflict.

According to new reporting, Iranian officials are now weighing a range of asymmetric options to target U.S. forces in and around the strait of Hormuz, including the potential use of dolphins equipped with naval mines to attack American warships.

Now, the use of flipper and her buddies is reportedly just one of many tactics being floated by the Iranian regime.

As an aside, only folks of a certain age might recall the amazing 1960s TV series called Flipper, and starring a smiling, incredibly well-trained bottle-nosed dolphin.

In reality, the role of Flipper was played by several different trained female dolphins. That's a bit of news that you might not find on other podcasts.

But I digress.

Aside from possibly blowing up dolphins, which seems right in line with the Iranian regime's character, official say Tehran is also considering deploying submarines into the strait and is already threatened to cut key undersea communications cables that run through the waterway, which could significantly disrupt global internet traffic.

Taken together, the regime's strategy is, of course, focused on targeting not just military assets, but the infrastructure that underpins global commerce and communication.

Inside Iran, there is growing concern that the current U.S. blockade aimed at choking off Tehran's oil exports is not simply an alternative to war, but a form of warfare itself.

As one analyst told the Wall Street Journal, the blockade is now being viewed in Tehran, quote, not as a substitute for war, but as a different manifestation of it, end quote.

Well, it didn't take them long to figure that one out, and that perception is beginning to shape decision-making. In fact, some Iranian officials are now warning that continued economic pressure could make renewed military conflict the less costly option.

At the same time, Iranian leaders are continuing to issue direct threats. In response to reports of the Trump administration is considering additional strikes, Iran's aerospace force commander warned this week, quote,

we've seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships, end quote. It's a comment that no doubt has the dolphins concerned.

So the message from Tehran is clear, if pressure continues, escalation will follow. Still, even as those threats are being made, Iran is also signaling a potential willingness to reengage diplomatically.

According to Reuters, Tehran said another proposal for negotiations to Pakistani mediators on Friday, just days after President Trump rejected their previous offer.

Details of that proposal were made unclear, and the White House is not yet directly commented.

But the timing is notable. As we discussed earlier on the PDB, it comes amid mounting economic pressure inside Iran, where analysts say the US blockade has helped push the country's economy into what some describe as a quote, death spiral.

Marked by soaring inflation, a collapsing currency, and widespread shortages of basic goods. While more muted, it's worth noting that this economic strain is being felt globally as well.

The crisis in the state of Hormuz has disrupted a waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world's oil and gas, sending energy prices sharply higher, and raising fears of a broader economic downturn.

On Thursday, oil surged to a four-year high before pulling back slightly on news of Iran's latest proposal.

Meanwhile, on the military front, preparations appear to be continuing on all sides.

Iranian officials say they've activated air defenses, and are preparing for what they believe could be a short but intense round of US strikes, potentially followed by Israeli military action.

On the American side, President Trump is being briefed on a range of options, including the possibility of extending the blockade, or even deploying ground forces to seize control of parts of the state of Hormuz in order to reopen shipping lanes.

But the US is also quietly laying the groundwork for a post-conflict scenario, circulating plans for a multinational maritime coalition designed to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait.

So, on one hand, escalating threats, including unconventional tactics and warnings of attacks on US warships, on the other, are renewed if tentative push for negotiations, and all of it unfolding under a legal grey area back in Washington.

And now under the war powers resolution, the administration faced a 60-day deadline to either end hostilities or seek authorization from Congress.

But officials of the administration now argue that the April ceasefire effectively, quote, terminated hostilities for the purposes of that law, allowing the administration to sidestep that requirement, even as military pressure continues.

Coming up next, the longest partial government shutdown in US history has finally ended.

Hazaa, but key immigration agencies are still not funded, setting up a new battle in Congress. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the PDB afternoon bulletin.

We turn now to Washington, DC, where after a nearly 11-week fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security,

the longest partial government shutdown in US history has finally come to an end.

On Thursday, President Trump signed into law a bipartisan funding bill that reopens most DHS operations,

including agencies like the Secret Service, TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard.

The legislation passed unanimously, and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, after being unanimously approved by the Senate on 2 April.

Breaking the week's long stalemate, of course, that had left key parts of the Department operating under emergency funding.

Officials had recently warned that money was about to run out, raising concerns about disruptions at airports and broader national security risks,

and calls to break the deadlock only intensified after the attempted assassination of President Trump

at last Saturday's White House Correspondence Association dinner.

But while the shutdown is over, the core issue that caused it has not been resolved.

As we've been reporting, the standoff was never about the entire department.

It centered specifically on immigration enforcement, particularly ICE and the Border Patrol.

Democrats continue to push for new oversight measures on ICE and Border Patrol, including stricter rules on how agents operate in the field.

While Republicans argue those changes would undermine enforcement efforts at a time of heightened concern over border security.

And those agencies are still not funded under this new bill.

Instead, Republican leaders are now moving forward with a separate plan to provide roughly $70 billion in funding for those operations through the budget reconciliation process, allowing them to bypass Democrat opposition and pass the measure with a simple majority in the Senate.

That step appears to have been the breakthrough that unlocked the deal.

After weeks of resistance, House Conservatives agreed to move forward with the broader DHS funding bill now that the separate funding track for immigration enforcement is in place.

In effect, lawmakers ended the shutdown by splitting the issue in two, funding the rest of DHS immediately, while postponing the fight over immigration enforcement for another vote.

So, you ask after all that confusion, where do things stand?

Well, on Wednesday, House Republicans managed to pass the Senate's $70 billion budget blueprint for ICE and Border Patrol, which will allow congressional committees to begin writing separate funding legislation.

Republicans are aiming to pass that separate funding bill as soon as May, using reconciliation to move it through Congress without Democrat support.

But, as you might imagine, the path forward remains uncertain.

So, while the immediate crisis has been averted, with DHS now largely back up and running, the broader political and policy battle that triggered this shutdown is still very much alive.

And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday, the first of May.

Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

And to listen to the show Add Free, you can do that. It is very, very simple.

Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB premium.com.

And, of course, it's Friday, the end of another week.

And, as a well-deserved reward, we have a brand new episode of our extended weekend show, the Situation Report.

It's filmed, edited, and in the can, ready to spool onto the film projector and beam out over the wonders of television and the Internet.

You can catch the latest episodes tonight at 10pm on the first TV.

And, of course, as always, on our YouTube channel, at President's Daily Brief, and podcast platforms everywhere.

We've got Heritage Foundation's Steve Yates, who was in attendance at the White House correspondents dinner the other night.

He'll be giving us a first-hand account from inside the ballroom.

Along with Defense Reporter extraordinaire Ruben Johnson.

Ruben has excellent insight into the current state of Russia, including growing anger and dissent regarding Putin's four-year-long invasion of Ukraine.

I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back over the weekend with the PDB Situation Report.

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

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