The President's Daily Brief
January 8th, 2025: Iran Retreats From Syria & Zelensky’s Approval Crisis
Wed, 08 Jan 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We begin in Syria, where the nation struggles to return to normalcy as Iran largely withdraws—marking a major setback for Tehran’s regional ambitions. Later, trouble for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest point since the Russian invasion began, fueling growing doubts among Ukrainians. Plus, the latest from South Korea, where rival government forces face off outside the presidential compound as impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol remains inside—refusing to comply with detention and search warrants. And finally, in today’s Back of the Brief, a new UN report reveals a sharp rise in executions in Iran last year, including about 40 in just one week in December. 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 is the current situation in Syria?
It's Wednesday, 8 January. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Today, we begin in Syria. As the country struggles to return to normalcy, Iran has largely withdrawn, signaling a major setback for the Iranian regime's regional ambitions. We'll have all the details ahead.
Later in the show, trouble for Ukrainian President Zelensky. His approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest point since the Russian invasion began, as doubts continue to grow among Ukrainians.
Plus, the latest from South Korea, where an ongoing standoff between rival government forces continues outside the presidential compound as the nation's impeached president remains inside, refusing to comply with detention and search warrants.
And in today's back of the brief, a new United Nations report reveals an alarming rise in executions in Iran last year, including about 40 in a single week in December. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
We'll begin with an update out of Syria, where some semblance of normalcy appears to be returning to the war-torn nation following the overthrow of Iranian-backed dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December.
Officials from the rebel coalition now governing the country announced that international flights in and out of Syria's main airport in Damascus would resume this week and that Syria was now ready to begin welcoming visitors from all over the world.
It's actually a significant development, as most international airlines suspended service to the country after the Syrian civil war kicked off back in March of 2011. Qatar Airways was the first major airliner to respond to the news, announcing that flights to Damascus had resumed on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 13 years.
Following the news, Jordan's flagship carrier also announced that flights to Syria would resume this week.
While there are still concerns about the stability of the new government, of course, which is being led by the Islamist group known as HTS, the rebels appear eager to open their doors back up and normalize ties with their neighbors, particularly now that Iran's stranglehold over the country appears to have been broken.
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of Iran's withdrawal from Syria?
Speaking of Iran, according to an exclusive report from our friends at the Wall Street Journal, the mullahs have pulled out nearly all of their forces from Syria in the aftermath of the rebel victory over Assad, once their strongest ally in the Middle East. The news represents a significant blow to the Iranian regime's regional strategy for projecting power and dominating the Middle East.
It marks the collapse of a years-long effort by Iran to use Syria as a central hub for their activities of their once powerful axis of resistance, which has been devastated by Israel over the past year. Leaders in Tehran had poured billions of dollars into this effort, sending thousands of military personnel and allied fighters to Syria after the bloody civil war broke out again in 2011.
Notably, Syria served as a strategic base of operations for the IRGC's, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, which would coordinate the activities of proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis from inside Syria, providing Iran with some diplomatic cover. It also provided a land bridge for smuggling large amounts of weapons to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Additionally, Iranian-backed armed groups inside Syria have launched attacks on U.S. forces in the region and aided in attacks on Israel over the past year. At the height of their activity in Syria, Iran was believed to have at least 10,000 IRGC members stationed in the country who controlled some 55 military bases. But an unnamed senior U.S.
official said Tuesday that virtually all members of the Quds Force have now fled back to Iran and the militia groups that they once armed have disbanded. When asked if the Iranians were completely out of Syria, the State Department's top Middle East official simply said, quote, pretty much, yes, it's extraordinary, end quote.
Adding to the Iranian regime's embarrassment, the hasty evacuation of their personnel forced them to leave behind a significant amount of military equipment and weapons. Hmm, sounds like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, doesn't it? Now, some of this equipment was reportedly destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, while much was captured by the HTS rebels. While U.S.
officials told the Journal that Iran will likely attempt to re-establish its forces across the region, those plans may prove untenable given their weakened position and HTS's hostility toward the mullahs. They view Iran as a major regional threat, and keeping Tehran from rebuilding its military presence in the country is one of their top priorities.
HDS rebel leader Ahmed al-Shara, formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Jalani, previously said that by deposing Assad, his forces had, quote, set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years, end quote. Still. Concerns remain, largely revolving around the stability of Syria's new rebel-led government.
Shira has pledged to shift away from militia-style governance and to create a new government that features broad representation for Syria's many ethnic and religious factions, though he's also said elections will likely not be held for many years.
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Chapter 3: How is President Zelensky's approval rating changing?
While the initial warrants against June expired on Monday, an extension was secured on Tuesday, leaving the timeline for his detention uncertain. Yun's lawyers have mounted a counteroffensive, filing complaints against the anti-corruption agency's chief prosecutor and the 150 investigators alleging illegal actions during the attempted detainment.
The chief of the Presidential Security Service defended his team, stating they're legally obligated to protect the incumbent president and rejecting accusations of acting as Yun's private army. Yoon, for his part, has vowed to, quote, fight to the end against efforts to oust him.
Chapter 4: What does the latest poll reveal about Ukrainians' trust in Zelensky?
His actions have sharply divided public opinion, with supporters praising his resistance and critics condemning his overreach. The standoff is emblematic of South Korea's fraught political history, where multiple presidents have often faced impeachment, arrest or imprisonment. As South Korea grapples with this ongoing crisis, the Constitutional Court's decision, of course, looms large.
The outcome could test the resilience of South Korea's democracy and its commitment to the rule of law, marking a pivotal moment in one of Asia's leading democracies. OK, coming up in today's back of the brief, a new U.N. report reveals Iran carried out a record number of executions last year, triggering alarm among human rights groups. I'll have more on that when we come back.
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Chapter 5: What challenges does Zelensky face moving forward?
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Chapter 6: What is happening in South Korea's political landscape?
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In today's Back of the Brief, Iran's use of the death penalty surged in 2024 with 901 executions, as the regime wields the death penalty as punishment and a tool of oppression, raising alarm among human rights advocates, of course.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights decried the wave of executions as an affront to human dignity, imploring Iran to impose a moratorium on capital punishment. Well, I'm sure that will do it. Maybe you could add a harshly worded memo and get the job done completely.
Turk stated, quote, It's high time Iran stemmed this ever-swelling tide of executions, calling for systemic reform to address the issue. Every now and then, you just have to look at what the UN does and think, do they actually live in the real world or not?
Amnesty International and other watchdog groups corroborate the crisis, placing Iran as the world's second highest executioner behind China, where reliable data, of course, is elusive. Tehran claims the death penalty targets heinous crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and sexual violence.
Yet activists argue that the regime has increasingly wielded it as a tool of political repression, silencing dissent and instilling fear. This harrowing trend gained momentum after nationwide protests erupted in 2022 and 2023, following the death of Masa Amini in police custody.
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