Mike Baker

It's Thursday, the 4th of June.

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, after weeks of missile strikes, drone attacks, and mounting tensions in the Persian Gulf, we're learning what President Trump's red line with Iran may be and what could trigger a return to all-out conflict.

Later in the show, President Trump suffers a rare setback on Capitol Hill after a bipartisan coalition in the House votes to curb his authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional approval.

As you might suspect, he'll be likely to veto it.

But first, today's afternoon spotlight.

Weeks of tit-for-tat strikes between the U.S.

and Iran have left many wondering what it would take for President Trump to relaunch a major military campaign against Tehran.

Well, now we're getting an answer.

According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Trump has privately told aides that he's willing to tolerate a surprising amount of Iranian aggression, even as missiles and drones continue flying across the Middle East, but that he also has a red line.

According to U.S.

officials cited by the journal, the president has indicated that if Iran kills American troops, the ceasefire, or whatever we should call it,

is effectively over and the US could once again find itself on the path to a much larger war.

The revelation offers a rare glimpse into how Trump is thinking about a conflict that, despite being labeled a ceasefire, increasingly looks anything but peaceful.

Since the ceasefire took effect in early April, both sides have continued to exchange blows.

Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against US positions and regional targets, while American forces have responded with retaliatory strikes.

This week alone saw some of the most intense fighting since the truce began, including Iranian attacks targeting regional facilities and shipping interests.

Yet despite the violence, the administration continues to insist that the ceasefire, or whatever we should call it, remains intact.