The President's Daily Brief
January 24th, 2025: Russian Spy Ship Taunts Britain & Trump Floats New Iranian Nuclear Deal
Fri, 24 Jan 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We'll kick things off in Europe, where threats to the continent's critical undersea cables are intensifying, as Britian warns that a Russian spy ship recently passed by the English coast for the second time in three months. Later in the show: Trump sets his sights on Iran, tapping Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead efforts to rein in Tehran’s expanding nuclear program, while suggesting he is open to brokering a new nuclear deal. Plus, Syria’s new rebel led government is reportedly incorporating Islamic law into their new administration, raising concerns about their commitment to protecting Syria’s many ethnic and religious minorities. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, an update on the devastating wildfires still burning in Los Angeles, as strong winds and bone-dry conditions fuel new blazes that are spreading rapidly. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What threats are posed by the Russian spy ship near Britain?
It's Friday, 24 January. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll kick things off in Europe, where threats to the continent's critical undersea cables are intensifying, as Britain warns that a Russian spy ship recently passed by the English coast for the second time in three months.
Later in the show, President Trump sets his sights on Iran, tapping Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead efforts to rein in the Iranian regime's expanding nuclear program, while suggesting that he's open to brokering a new nuclear deal.
Plus, Syria's new rebel-led government is reportedly incorporating Islamic law into their new administration, raising concerns about their commitment to protecting Syria's many ethnic and religious minorities. And in today's Back of the Brief, an update on the devastating wildfires still burning in Los Angeles as strong winds and dry conditions fuel new blazes that are spreading rapidly.
But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Russian provocations in the waters surrounding Britain are escalating tensions between Moscow and London, as a Russian spy ship equipped to potentially sabotage undersea cables was observed in nearby waters earlier this week for the second time in three months.
British Defense Secretary John Healey addressed the situation with Parliament on Wednesday, calling Russia, quote, the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, end quote. Healey revealed that Royal Navy ships tracked a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, off the coast of the U.K. for two days before it departed for Dutch waters.
His remarks, directly aimed at Russian President Putin, were clear, stating, quote, We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country, end quote. The defense secretary also announced updates to Britain's naval rules of engagement, allowing for more aggressive monitoring of Russian vessels.
The Yantar, developed by Russia's main directorate for alleged deep-sea research, is equipped with submersibles capable of targeting critical undersea cables. That's a vulnerability that Western intelligence has repeatedly warned that Moscow could exploit.
According to the private intelligence firm Sibylline, which has been tracking the ship's movements for a decade, its primary mission is locating and mapping infrastructure for potential sabotage or intelligence gathering. The timing of this activity coincides with NATO's intensified focus on undersea security following a series of recent incidents of suspected sabotage in European waters.
As we previously reported on the PDB, NATO deployed warships, patrol aircraft, and drones in the Baltic Sea after several undersea cables were severed late last year. Finnish investigators are nearing completion of their probe into the Russian tanker Eagle S, accused of dragging its anchor for over 60 miles and damaging multiple undersea cables back in December.
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Chapter 2: What actions is Trump considering regarding Iran's nuclear program?
But he has also said that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years, meaning anything resembling democratic elections are not on the horizon. Many in the West remain skeptical about HTS's commitment to de-radicalizing, noting that HTS is currently seeking to have the U.S.
and Western allies lift the group's longstanding terrorist designation, which would free them from the crippling sanctions that come with it.
While Syria's Interior Ministry has not commented on the inclusion of Sharia law in their police training, anonymous officials attempted to downplay its significance, with one official telling Reuters it's not about imposing Islam on the general population, but rather teaching recruits ethical behavior.
For now, Western governments are keeping a close eye on the developments in Syria to see whether HTS's promises of inclusivity will translate into action. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, we'll have an update on the devastating wildfires still burning in Los Angeles, as strong winds and dry conditions fuel new blazes that are spreading rapidly. I'll be back with those details.
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In today's Back of the Brief, wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles County as the Hughes Fire surged past 10,000 acres since igniting Wednesday morning, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes. The new inferno, raging 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is fueled by relentless Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 65 miles per hour.
and critically low humidity, creating a formidable challenge, of course, for the 4,000 firefighters present on the scene. As of Thursday afternoon, the Hughes Fire is only 24% contained. Despite the high winds, aircraft have been deployed to combat the wildfire, with helicopters scooping water from nearby lakes and airplanes dropping fire retardant to slow the blaze's rapid spread.
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Chapter 3: How is Syria's new government impacting its minorities?
That's much loved and critically acclaimed. And you can find that at President's Daily Brief and all podcast platforms where you happen to get your podcast stuff.
Our great guests this weekend include Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies to discuss the Trump administration's border policies, and the Heritage Foundation's Steve Yates to discuss all things foreign policy and national security related. It is, frankly, a humdinger of a show. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.
Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.