June 13th, 2025: Strike Imminent? Israel Poised to Hit Iran & Hamas Accused of Murdering Aid Workers
22:14 Share

The NBA playoffs are here, and I'm getting my bets in on FanDuel. Talk to me, Chuck GPT. What do you know? All sorts of interesting stuff. Even Charles Barkley's greatest fear. Hey, nobody needs to know that. New customers bet $5 to get 200 in bonus bets if you win. FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook.

21 plus and present in Illinois. Must be first online real money wager. $5 deposit required. Bonus issued is non-withdrawable bonus pass that expires seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at fanduel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It's Friday, the 13th of June.

Oh, well, if you're superstitious, I'm sorry. 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. First up, signs of an imminent Israeli attack on Iran. Western intelligence officials are sounding the alarm. And the U.S. is now evacuating embassy personnel from Baghdad.

Later in the show, the IDF goes public with internal Hamas records that allegedly show a policy of aid confiscation, meaning Hamas has been taking the aid and using it for their own personnel and purposes. We'll break down those claims. Plus, how far will Hamas go to keep control of Gaza's aid pipeline? A U.S.-backed aid group says its workers were killed in cold blood by Hamas operatives.

And in today's Back of the Brief, 244 lives lost in a catastrophic Air India crash. Yet, astonishingly, authorities say that a single passenger walked away. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

We'll begin today in the Middle East, where it appears Israel could soon launch strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, as negotiations between Tehran and Washington appear close to collapse. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation that spoke to NBC and other outlets on Thursday, officials in Washington are concerned that such a strike could be just days away. The campaign would likely be carried out without U.S. military support, though American intelligence assistance could be provided.

The reports come in the wake of comments made by President Trump Wednesday on a podcast during which he said he's growing, quote, less confident about reaching a new nuclear deal with the Iranian regime.

While we've heard numerous reports over the past six months that Israel could move to cripple Iran's enrichment capabilities only with that intelligence to be walked back, this time looks different. Israeli officials told Axios that the Israel Defense Forces are on high alert and the U.S. has begun withdrawing some of its non-military personnel from the region in anticipation of Iranian retaliation.

While the State Department has not provided details on these evacuations, a report from the New York Times on Thursday confirmed that non-essential U.S. personnel and family members of diplomats are being withdrawn from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, as well as from U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Families of Navy and Marine personnel stationed at a major U.S. naval base in Bahrain have also reportedly been authorized to depart the Middle East. Additionally, the State Department imposed security restrictions Thursday on U.S. diplomats and their families in Israel. The activity comes just two weeks after President Trump reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu against any unilateral attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities while U.S. negotiations with Iran are still active.

As we've been tracking here on the PDB, those talks aren't exactly going well, and I'm putting it diplomatically, with the key sticking point being Tehran's insistence that they be allowed to continue domestic uranium enrichment for what they dubiously claim is for civilian energy purposes.

Iran is already enriching uranium to 60% purity just short of weapons grade and is believed to have enough to build several bombs. U.S. intelligence warns that they could weaponize their existing stockpiles of uranium within a matter of months.

A sixth round of negotiations are set to begin Sunday in Oman between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arraghji. It could very well be the last attempt at reaching an agreement. An Axios report on Thursday said Netanyahu is waiting for a green light to move forward from Trump should this weekend's talks fail, though other reports suggest Israel could act earlier. Regarding a potential strike,

Trump told reporters Thursday, quote, I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen. He said he'd still prefer a diplomatic solution, though criticized Iran's intransigence and said they need to start making major concessions. Trump added, however, that he still thinks his team is close to securing a, quote, pretty good agreement and that he does not want Israel to make a move just yet as, quote, I think it would blow it, end quote.

That somewhat contradictory statement from Trump over the past two days could be read as a final negotiating tactic ahead of Sunday's talks, letting Iranian leaders know that he's prepared to unleash Israel. Meanwhile, Iranian military and government officials have met to draw up retaliation plans, and the head of the IRGC said Thursday they have already determined the targets that they will attack in response. A senior Iranian official said the response would involve a

an immediate counter-strike on Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles, and said it would be far more destructive than their two large-scale drone and missile attacks on Israel last year.

Those attacks inflicted limited damage, with most being intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defenses with the assistance of American fighter jets. U.S. intelligence estimates that Iran currently has roughly 2,000 ballistic missiles with warheads that can carry 2,000 pounds of explosives or more. Iran's defense minister said Wednesday that if Israel strikes, they will also retaliate by targeting American forces in the region, saying, quote,

we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries. But leaders in Israel see Iran as uniquely weak and vulnerable due to the collapse of their once-strong network of proxies. From an operational perspective, the fact that Iran's key nuclear facilities are heavily fortified, with some key facilities built deep underground, it does remain unclear whether Israel can deal a decisive blow without U.S. involvement. All right.

Coming up next, Israel releases documents that it says proves Hamas has been seizing humanitarian aid, and a U.S.-backed group now claims Hamas killed its workers to keep control of the international aid. I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, I probably don't need to tell you this, but Father's Day is coming up. It's actually right around the corner. This Father's Day, skip the socks, don't think about a tie, or skip the bottle of cologne to go with the three other dozen colognes on the shelf. Give the dude something that he really actually wants. How about some excellent steak? I'm talking about great beef.

And seriously, not just any steak or beef. Get them beef from Tri-Tales. Now, Tri-Tales Beef is a real family-run Texas ranch. It's not some corporate meat factory. They raise and ship pasture-raised, grain-finished Black Angus beef straight from their ranch to your front door. And from now through June 15th, which, as you know, is Dad's Day, when you spend $399 or more, Tri-Tales will throw in two pounds of ground beef for free, and that is enough for Dad to feed the whole crew.

And from June 13th to 15th only, get this, grab a TriTales gift card for dad, and they'll give you a 10% bonus card to use yourself. That's right. You gift one, you get one. Go to tribeef.com slash pdb to order in time. That's tribeef.com slash pdb. Come on. On behalf of dads everywhere, pop deserves a great steak. Let's make it happen. Power.

Politics and the people behind the headlines. I'm Miranda Devine, New York Post columnist and the host of the brand new podcast, Podforce One. Every week, I'll sit down for candid conversations with Washington's most powerful disruptors, lawmakers, newsmakers, and even the president himself.

of the United States. Hello, everyone. This is your favourite president of all time, Donald Trump. And listen to Miranda Devine on her brand new podcast. It's going to be through the roof. These are the leaders shaping the future of America and the world. Listen to Podforce One with me, Miranda Devine, every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. You don't want to miss an episode.

Welcome back to the PDB. In what should surprise the sum total of no one, Israel has now released what it claims are internal Hamas documents confirming that the terror group has been siphoning humanitarian aid to bankroll its own war machine. The documents, published by the Israel Defense Forces, outline what appears to be a standing policy inside Hamas to divert as much as 25% of all humanitarian goods entering Gaza.

According to the IDF, these supplies were either handed off directly to terror operatives in the field or resold at inflated prices with the profits funneled back into the terror group's military apparatus. One planning document, allegedly drafted by senior Hamas officials, lays out a redistribution model that reads, quote, It's been agreed with the brothers in al-Qassam, that's Hamas's military wing, that the percentages will be changed as such, 7% to Qassam,

4% to government entities, 4% to elements of the Hamas movement." And I apologize for the noise in the background once again, I am on the road and sometimes it's less than perfect conditions. Also released was a handwritten letter dated March 2024 from a resident of the enclave's Rimel neighborhood. Addressed to a senior Hamas figure, the letter accuses internal security forces of seizing

17 bags of flour and 15 aid coupons from his brother's truck, aid that had been purchased in Rafah and was earmarked for his extended family. The resident pleads for the supplies to be returned, stating, quote, We have a full list of the names of the intended recipients. I express my hope that the confiscated aid will be returned to its legal owners.

And the documents and letters point to more than just theft and profiteering. They reveal growing fractures within Hamas' own ranks. As we've discussed on the PDB, news of internal dissent within the Iranian-backed terror group, well, is not new. However, a memo reveals that senior Hamas officials acknowledge the unrest.

In northern Gaza, civilians have reportedly begun hiding aid shipments to keep them out of Hamas's hands, while in a city in the Strip's northeast, several operatives have voiced support for anti-Hamas protests calling for a ceasefire. The internal memo quotes rank-and-file personnel, saying, "A number of organization members continue to curse the movement and claim that the organization is the primary reason for the destruction in Gaza and for the collapse in living situations."

The IDF also accuses Hamas of orchestrating a broader wartime enrichment scheme that includes widespread cigarette smuggling. According to Israeli officials, cigarette imports, now banned altogether, had become a lucrative secondary revenue stream for Hamas, with prices inflated far above market value.

Officials also point to operatives based in Turkey facilitating illicit financial transactions on behalf of the Iran-backed group, using informal money transfer systems difficult to trace. Taken together, the documents paint a damning portrait of a terror organization enriching itself in wartime at the direct expense of the very people it claims to defend.

Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, estimates that Hamas has made hundreds of millions of dollars through this war profiteering network.

Alright, staying in Gaza. In a demonstration of just how far Hamas is willing to go to maintain its control over the flow of humanitarian aid, eight workers with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the GHF, were murdered Wednesday night in what the aid group is calling a targeted ambush by the terrorist group in the enclave's south. The attack unfolded in Khan Yunis when a bus carrying more than two dozen GHF personnel was attacked. GHF initially reported five fatalities,

But by Thursday, the number had climbed to eight. A Palestinian aid partner affiliated with the foundation told CNN that the terrorists had targeted the convoy following threats. The Palestinian aid group stated, quote, Hamas targeted them after several threats, and we never expected the situation to escalate to the point of assassinating these workers, adding that some survivors were beaten or shot in the aftermath.

That chilling account lines up with warnings issued just days earlier by Hamas-linked media, in which the Iran-backed terror group claimed it had "full authority and mandate to strike decisively against any entity or individual collaborating with the enemy's plans." All such persons, Hamas declared, were "legitimate targets for its so-called resistance forces."

For those unfamiliar, the GHF is a group we've been following here on the PDB. It was launched earlier this year with US and Israeli backing in response to those long-standing claims we just discussed that Hamas has been looting humanitarian aid to fuel its war chest.

Since GHF operations began, violence has flared repeatedly near its aid distribution centers. The IDF says multiple Hamas fighters have been killed in these clashes, claims corroborated by incident reports and operational footage. Hamas accuses Israel of indiscriminate targeting, with the IDF rejecting those claims.

On Thursday, the Hamas-controlled health ministry claimed more than a dozen civilians were killed in Israeli fire near a GHF distribution site. But in a statement, the IDF said those figures "do not align with the information held by the IDF." Now, that pattern is familiar. Earlier this month, Hamas accused Israel of staging a massacre near a GHF aid convoy. That's an allegation later debunked by surveillance footage released by aid organizations themselves.

Several mainstream media outlets, including the BBC and The Washington Post, that originally ran with the unsubstantiated Hamas claims, later retracted their articles, citing errors and overdependence on Hamas-controlled information.

Despite the growing risks, GHF confirmed Thursday that it had reopened three of its aid sites, two in the south and one in central Gaza, distributing nearly 45,000 boxes of food directly to civilians. Meanwhile, Gaza is falling further into darkness, literally. A near-total communications blackout has crippled Gaza City and the north for over 24 hours, according to the internet watchdog group NetBlocks. That outage

is now spreading south, severely disrupting aid deliveries. As the war drags on, the fight over who controls the aid and how it reaches civilians directly continues to be almost as consequential as the military conflict itself. Coming up next in the back of the brief, we turn to India with some tragic news. A devastating plane crash has claimed hundreds of lives, but in the wreckage, officials say one British passenger made it out alive. More on that when we come back.

Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, if you own a handgun, you have likely faced a tough choice in the past. Keep it locked up and safe. Or accessible, but unsecured. Now, Stopbox USA offers a solution with the Stopbox Pro. It's mechanical and keyless, and it's designed for fast, secure access without batteries or electronics. It provides quick access,

when every second counts. Made in the USA, it's TSA compliant for secure travel and it's part of a full line of innovative gear including vehicle safes and chamber locks. For a limited time only, our listeners here at the PDB get 10% off the entire order when you use code PDB. Right now, Stopbox is running a deal on their most popular bundle, that would be the 2-pack, which saves you over 30% and comes with free accessories,

And free shipping. That's right, free shipping. That's 10% off and a big bundle discount when you use code PDB at stopboxusa.com. Discover a better way to balance security and readiness with Stopbox.

PMS, pregnancy, menopause. Being a woman is a lot. Oli supports you and yours with expert solutions for every age and life stage. They just launched two new products exclusively at Walmart. Period Hero combats bloat, mood swings, and more during PMS. And Balance Perimeno to support hormonal balance, mood, and metabolism during perimenopause. Grab yours at Oli.com. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.

In today's Back of the Brief, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in decades has struck India. On Thursday, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just moments after takeoff from the western city of Ahmedabad. The flight was en route to London's Gatwick Airport when, according to witnesses and survivors, it lost control less than a minute into the air. The impact was catastrophic. Not only were more than 200 passengers and crew members killed on board,

But the plane also struck buildings on the ground, including a student hostel connected to a medical college and hospital. Among the dead are reportedly several medical students who were inside the facility at the time.

The sheer scale of the tragedy has rocked the country. Prime Minister Modi posted a somber message on social media, writing, "...the tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It's heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it."

But amid the devastation, a possible miracle, authorities say there may be a single survivor. Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British national, was seated near an emergency exit and reportedly managed to jump out of the aircraft during the crash. Speaking from his hospital bed, Ramesh told Indian media that he'd been traveling with his brother to the UK after a visit with family. Thirty seconds after takeoff, he said, there was a loud noise

And then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly. They said that in an interview with the Hindustan Times. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the crash, but as with most incidents involving modern commercial jets, the final answer could take months or even years. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday, the 13th of June. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com.

And of course, as you've already noticed, it's Friday. And as with every Friday, this evening at 10 p.m. on the First TV, we launch a brand spanking new episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. We'll be looking at the immigration riots that engulfed Los Angeles and have been popping up in other cities across the U.S., as well as the latest developments in Iran, as Israel considers a unilateral military strike and Washington's hopes for a negotiated agreement with the mullahs fade.

Great guests, excellent insight and analysis. It's really everything that you could hope for in a weekend news show and more. All we're missing is a house band and a catchy theme song. Now you can catch this latest episode on our YouTube channel also. That's at President's Daily Brief, as well as podcast platforms everywhere. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.