The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
It's Tuesday, the 16th of June.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
All right, let's get briefed.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
First up, for weeks, as Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
reportedly turned to an unlikely solution, a shipping network modeled on techniques pioneered by none other than the Iranian regime.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
Sound confusing?
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
Well, I'll explain how it worked and why it may have helped minimize a global energy crisis.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
Later in the show, tragedy at a California airbase as a B-52 bomber crashes moments after takeoff, killing all eight crew members on board.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
I'll add the latest details on the deadly accident and what investigators are now looking at as they search for answers.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
But first, today's afternoon spotlight.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
The U.S.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
and Iran may have signed a memorandum aimed at ending their months-long conflict, but that does not mean that everything is suddenly back to normal in the Persian Gulf.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
While both sides have reportedly pledged to reopen this straight-up Hormuz, obviously one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, shipping companies and insurers, well, they remain wary.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
Tanker operators say it could take weeks before commercial traffic returns to normal, even if the ceasefire holds.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
For many in the shipping industry, the risk of missiles or drones or renewed hostilities remains too high.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
That lingering uncertainty helps explain a new Reuters investigation published today.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
According to Reuters, the U.S.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
has spent the past several weeks overseeing a secretive operation designed to keep Gulf oil flowing despite Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | June 16th, 2026: The Secret U.S. Operation That Kept Gulf Oil Flowing & B-52 Disaster
And in a twist that few observers would have predicted, the operation reportedly relies on techniques long associated with Iran's own sanctions evasion network.