August 17th, 2026: Trump’s Secret Talks With the Men Who Control Iran & Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Starlink

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: The Trump administration reportedly bypassed Iran’s official negotiators and opened a secret backchannel directly to the Revolutionary Guard. We reveal who carried Washington’s messages—and what the operation exposed about who truly controls Tehran. Ukraine strikes the Russian rocket center connected to Moscow’s developing alternative to Starlink, attempting to cripple the network before it becomes fully operational. China launches a new Arctic shipping route to Europe, using Russia’s northern coastline to bypass increasingly dangerous maritime chokepoints. In today’s Back of the Brief: Iran claims three pilots missing since a failed bombing mission are being held prisoner in Qatar—but Doha denies it. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.  Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Thanks to today’s sponsor, Spring Sleep: eXciteOSA is an FDA-cleared, prescription-only device for primary snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Go to springsleep.com/PDB and unlock 20% off with the code PDB. QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB Pendulum: Ditch the afternoon crashes and naturally curb your cravings with 48% off the doctor-recommended Pendulum Metabolic Daily at https://pendulumlife.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices