September 2nd, 2026: U.S. and Iran Exchange a New Round of Strikes & Russia Accused on German Soil

**Mike Baker** (0:14)
It's Wednesday, the 2nd of September. 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, the conflict with Iran flares up yet again as the US and Iran exchange a new round of strikes, and President Trump warns that something much larger could follow. Later in the show, Germany formally accuses Russia of targeting a Ukrainian cargo plane with explosive-laden drones on German soil, and Berlin is already retaliating. Plus, Mexican cartels are increasingly deploying car bombs, explosive drones and land mines as their war against the country's security forces grows more militarized. Is it just me, or does it seem like 2026 is turning into a fairly sizable goat rope? And in today's Back of the Brief, another senior Pentagon official makes for the exit, as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after clashing with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
The rinse-wash-repeat cycle of strikes between the US and Iran continues. The latest round began Tuesday afternoon following limited exchanges of missiles and drones on Sunday when American forces launched a broader attack against Iran. Tehran answered several hours later with missiles and drones of its own. The exchange marks the decisive end of a month-long pause in direct fighting and returns the conflict the dangerous pattern that has defined much of the past six months. Let's begin with what we know about the American operation. US Central Command says the strikes began at noon Eastern on Tuesday and targeted forces belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that of course would be the IRGC because the regime does love acronyms as much as anyone. CENTCOM says the operation was launched in response to attempted Iranian attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and American service members deployed across the region. Iranian media reported explosions near Qashm Island, which sits inside the Strait of Hormuz, and has become central to the regime's campaign to control traffic through the waterway. Explosions were also reported around Banda Abbas, the headquarters of Iran's conventional Navy, such as it is, and a major hub for the Revolutionary Guard's maritime forces. President Trump says American forces specifically targeted Iranian radar systems. He told Fox News that the regime had been attempting to restore radar capabilities previously destroyed by the US. Trump said, quote, We waited until it was almost built, and then we hit it, end quote. That detail provides the clearest indication of what Washington was trying to accomplish. Iran relies, of course, on radars and coastal surveillance systems to monitor ships entering the strait, coordinate its missile and drone forces, and track American military activity in the region. By destroying those systems, Washington is attempting to keep Iran partially blind and make it more difficult for the regime to threaten commercial vessels using the waterway.
As we reported yesterday on the PDB, American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larik Island on Sunday after CENTCOM said the Revolutionary Guard were preparing to fire rockets carrying additional naval mines into the strait.
Iran responded by launching eight missiles toward American positions in Jordan, and all eight were reportedly intercepted. The UAE also says that it intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters. And then late Monday, two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unidentified projectiles minutes apart while leaving the Strait of Hormuz. Each tanker was carrying approximately two million barrels of crude. Their crews were reported safe and neither vessel suffered significant damage. Now, no one has claimed responsibility, and neither Washington nor Riyadh has publicly identified the attacker. Well, how about that? If only we had a clue as to who might have fired missiles or drones and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Who could it be? Trump made it clear on Monday that another American response was coming, and Tuesday's barrage was that response. Several hours later, Iran fired back again. The Associated Press reports that Tehran launched missiles and drones in retaliation for the American strikes. Air raid sirens were activated in several areas of Jordan. But at the time of this recording, there were no verifiable details on the scope and scale of Iran's response, nor specifically what facilities were targeted. The Revolutionary Guard also claims it shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone, and the US has not confirmed that claim. Before Iran retaliated, Trump warned that any response would result in the country being hit again at what he called a quote, much harder and higher level, end quote. He added that an even larger attack was, quote, waiting in the wings and warned that when it was over, very little would remain of the Islamic Republic. Iran, well, responded anyway. The renewed fighting is also closing the door on what little diplomatic effort remain. Was there any remaining? Only hours before Tuesday's American strikes, Iranian President Masoud Pesachian, for his own reasons, offered to return to the memorandum of understanding or misunderstanding that Tehran and Washington reached back in June. That agreement called for an immediate ceasefire and 60 days of negotiations. That, of course, didn't happen. Iran had agreed to clear mines from Hormuz and permit ships to pass, while Washington agreed to end its blockade, ease sanctions and allow Iranian oil exports to resume. Iran, as you may recall, failed to reopen the strait, failed to clear any mines and simply used the pause to rebuild damaged facilities and move their own oil tankers through the strait. Pesachian said that if the US returned to its commitments, Iran would immediately do the same. But Trump dismissed that possibility. He told Fox News that an agreement with the Iranian regime is not worth the paper it's written on, adding that Washington had already given the Iranian regime plenty of chances. Now, while the Iranian president, who may or may not have any authority within the regime, pays lip service to diplomacy, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which appears to be the primary decision-maker within the regime, continues attacking American forces and threatening commercial shipping. And at the center of it all remains the Strait of Hormuz. Now, it doesn't seem that long ago when this whole conflict was supposedly about preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon. But really, since the start and up until today, it's been all about the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says that if it can't export oil from the Persian Gulf, no one else will be allowed to export oil either. Commercial traffic to the Strait has fallen to a fraction of its normal level, and the latest tanker attacks have made an already dangerous route even harder to insure and navigate. Oil prices are climbing again as markets consider the possibility of a sustained military campaign.