The President's Daily Brief
March 31st, 2025: Inside Iran’s Underground ‘Missile City’ & Syria Unveils Surprising New Government
Mon, 31 Mar 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Iran unveils a sprawling underground missile base, dubbed “Missile City,” packed with long-range ballistic and cruise missiles. We’ll break down the strategic message behind the video—and its surprising vulnerability. Hamas signals readiness to release five hostages, including an American-Israeli, in exchange for a temporary ceasefire under a new Egyptian-brokered proposal. Syria’s new president forms a surprisingly diverse transitional government, signaling a break from decades of Assad-family rule. In today’s Back of the Brief: U.S. forces carry out a precision airstrike against ISIS operatives in Somalia in coordination with the Somali government. 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 TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What does Iran's 'Missile City' reveal?
We'll start things off today with a show of force from the Iranian regime. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, has just unveiled a sprawling underground missile base packed with weapons capable of reaching across the region and beyond. We'll look at what their saber-rattling means and why one design flaw could be Iran's biggest vulnerability.
Later in the show, Hamas says it's ready to release five hostages, including an American Israeli, in a new Egyptian-brokered deal for a temporary ceasefire. Plus, Syria's new president unveils a surprisingly diverse transitional government, marking a key step away from Assad-era rule and toward renewed ties with the West.
Given the recent rise in sectarian violence in Syria, this is an important step by the current interim leadership. And in today's back of the brief, U.S. forces strike ISIS targets, remember ISIS, in Somalia, taking out several militants in a coordinated operation with the Somali government. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
Iran is flexing its military muscle as the pressure from Washington continues to ramp up. In the latest move meant to showcase defiance, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, has released video footage of what they're calling Missile City, which of course is different from Paradise City, a great gunner's tune, not to mention Big City, a classic from Merle Haggard.
I doubt the mullahs have listened to either, but I digress. The 85-second video, initially published by Iranian state media, shows a vast network of underground tunnels. The exact location is unknown, but it's likely carved into the mountainous terrain of western Iran.
The facility holds thousands of precision-guided ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges that seem to stretch from 850 to 1,550 miles. For reference, those missiles are capable of heading deep into Israel, across the Gulf to U.S. bases in Qatar and Bahrain, and even brushing southern Europe's edges like Greece or Italy.
Two of Iran's top military leaders are seen touring the site, boasting that Iran's military power is now, quote, 10 times stronger than it was in 2024. Now, it's worth noting that there's a glaring design flaw in Iran's missile city, at least the one showcased in the most recent video.
Those tunnels appear to lack blast doors or separated compartments, and the missiles are stored out in the open, stacked one on top of the other. Well, that all sounds safe. It doesn't take a genius, of course, or a rocket scientist, to realize that a single penetrating strike, say from a bunker buster from a USB-2, could trigger a chain reaction and possibly destroy the whole site.
I'm sure that military planners in Washington and Tel Aviv have clocked that vulnerability, and it's a safe bet that they're gaming out options as we speak, perhaps even discussing it on a group text chat. This is the third such missile base that Iran has unveiled in 2025 alone, part of what analysts say is a broader effort by the Iranian regime to show it won't be intimidated by the U.S.
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of Hamas's hostage release proposal?
Chapter 3: How is Syria's new government different from the past?
Iran is flexing its military muscle as the pressure from Washington continues to ramp up. In the latest move meant to showcase defiance, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, has released video footage of what they're calling Missile City, which of course is different from Paradise City, a great gunner's tune, not to mention Big City, a classic from Merle Haggard.
Chapter 4: What recent actions have U.S. forces taken against ISIS?
I doubt the mullahs have listened to either, but I digress. The 85-second video, initially published by Iranian state media, shows a vast network of underground tunnels. The exact location is unknown, but it's likely carved into the mountainous terrain of western Iran.
The facility holds thousands of precision-guided ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges that seem to stretch from 850 to 1,550 miles. For reference, those missiles are capable of heading deep into Israel, across the Gulf to U.S. bases in Qatar and Bahrain, and even brushing southern Europe's edges like Greece or Italy.
Two of Iran's top military leaders are seen touring the site, boasting that Iran's military power is now, quote, 10 times stronger than it was in 2024. Now, it's worth noting that there's a glaring design flaw in Iran's missile city, at least the one showcased in the most recent video.
Those tunnels appear to lack blast doors or separated compartments, and the missiles are stored out in the open, stacked one on top of the other. Well, that all sounds safe. It doesn't take a genius, of course, or a rocket scientist, to realize that a single penetrating strike, say from a bunker buster from a USB-2, could trigger a chain reaction and possibly destroy the whole site.
I'm sure that military planners in Washington and Tel Aviv have clocked that vulnerability, and it's a safe bet that they're gaming out options as we speak, perhaps even discussing it on a group text chat. This is the third such missile base that Iran has unveiled in 2025 alone, part of what analysts say is a broader effort by the Iranian regime to show it won't be intimidated by the U.S.
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Chapter 5: What vulnerabilities exist in Iran's missile capabilities?
Chapter 6: How does the U.S. respond to Iran's military threats?
I'm sure that military planners in Washington and Tel Aviv have clocked that vulnerability, and it's a safe bet that they're gaming out options as we speak, perhaps even discussing it on a group text chat. This is the third such missile base that Iran has unveiled in 2025 alone, part of what analysts say is a broader effort by the Iranian regime to show it won't be intimidated by the U.S.
or its allies. Now, if you're a regular PDB listener, and I certainly hope that you are, you'll know that the timing of this reveal is no accident. It comes just weeks after President Trump issued a clear ultimatum to Iran, dismantle its missile and nuclear programs within two months or face consequences. We've also seen a steady buildup of U.S.
military assets in the region, and this is important. CENTCOM now has two carrier strike groups within range, and as we reported last week, the U.S. has been amassing B-2 bombers and other air assets at Diego Garcia, a key strategic air base in the Indian Ocean. So there's no coincidence that the IRGC has released this latest footage now.
Last week, they flat out rejected direct talks with Washington. However, they've left the door open for indirect negotiations, possibly through Oman or Qatar. But frankly, that wasn't enough for U.S. President Trump. On Friday, he told the media, quote, My big preference is that we work it out with Iran. But if we don't work it out, bad things are going to happen to Iran, end quote.
All right, coming up next, Hamas signals a possible hostage release in a new ceasefire proposal. And Syria's new president forms a surprisingly diverse cabinet in a break from Assad-era rule. I'll be right back. Hi, Mike Baker here. Look, in a world where everything feels mass-produced, it's refreshing to find something real. Am I right?
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Chapter 7: What are the terms of the new ceasefire proposal by Hamas?
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In a bid to revive January's collapsed ceasefire agreement, Hamas is offering to free Israeli hostages, this time under an Egyptian-backed proposal that would see five released each week, including American Israeli Eden Alexander. A Hamas official told CNN that the proposal closely resembles a previous framework pitched by U.S.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this month, though it remains unclear whether the deal includes the return of the remains of deceased hostages. In exchange for the phased releases, Hamas is demanding that Israel revert to the terms of the 19 January ceasefire, which saw a multi-week pause in fighting, an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the commencement of phase two negotiations.
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Chapter 8: How does the latest Israeli military action impact Gaza?
As we've been reporting here on the PDB since early this month, Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza, aiming to force Hamas to accept new terms more favorable to Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition.
That initial ceasefire, which was brokered after more than a year of war, resulted in the release of 33 hostages, eight of them deceased, in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and terrorists.
The second phase was slated to begin just over two weeks later and conclude within 42 days, culminating in the release of all surviving hostages, a formal end to the war, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. But talks quickly unraveled. The White House has laid the blame for the original breakdown and talks squarely at Hamas's feet, accusing the group of stalling negotiations.
Now, according to Reuters, citing security officials, Israel has expressed cautious optimism about the latest offer, viewing it as a possible on-ramp to a renewed truce. Even so, Netanyahu's office said Saturday it had submitted a counterproposal, quote, in full coordination with the United States, offering no further detail.
Hamas political chief Khalil al-Haya said in a televised address that the terror group had responded, quote, positively to the Egyptian proposal and warned Israel against obstructing progress. He insisted Hamas, quote, fully abided by the original agreement and expressed hope that Israel would reciprocate under the renewed framework.
This renewed ceasefire dialogue comes against a backdrop of escalating violence in Gaza, where Israeli forces have launched an intensified ground campaign in both the northern and southern parts of the Strip. That operation resumed nearly two weeks ago, ending a tenuous two-month lull.
On Saturday, Israeli ground troops advanced deeper into the southern city of Rafah, targeting the densely populated Jinnah neighborhood along the Egyptian border. The IDF said its objective is to expand a buffer zone along the border in order to shape the post-war geography of Gaza should a ceasefire be re-established.
Now, whether either side can overcome the political inertia and distrust that doomed the last agreement remains an open question. But for now, well, the offer is on the table while the war grinds on. Okay, shifting to Syria.
The interim government has taken its most decisive step yet towards stitching the war-torn nation back together, swearing in a new transitional government nearly four months after the toppling of the Assad regime. The 23-member cabinet replaces the interim government led by former al-Qaeda member Ahmad al-Sharaa.
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