PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 12th, 2026: Mojtaba Khamenei Issues First Message & Iran Launches Cyberattack on U.S. Company

March 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public message since assuming power—though notably not in person. The statement, read by a news anchor on Iranian state television while a photo of Khamenei appeared on screen, declared that Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, continue targeting U.S. military bases across the region, and called on Gulf states to remove American forces from their soil. Separately, a suspected Iranian cyberattack hit the U.S. medical technology company Stryker, wiping thousands of employee devices and signaling that the conflict may be expanding into the digital domain against American corporate targets.

The New Supreme Leader's First Message

Iranian state media broadcast what it described as the first official message from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei since he assumed power following his father's death. The delivery was unusual: the statement was read by a news anchor while a still image of Khamenei appeared on screen. He did not appear on camera.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of The President's Daily Brief

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (00:52) **Iran's New Supreme Leader Issues First Message** - Iranian state media releases a written statement from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, warning the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed and threatening continued attacks on U.S. bases.
2 (09:07) **Iranian Cyberattack Hits U.S. Medical Technology Company Stryker** - A major cyberattack disrupts operations at Stryker, a U.S. medical technology company, in what hackers claim is retaliation for the U.S. campaign.
3 Standout Quotes
4 (02:17) "And for that, Khamenei, or whomever wrote the statement, receives today's PDB statement of the obvious award."
5 (03:25) "Ooh, I'd like to thank my agent, uh the rebels in Yemen, of course my publicist, and a big thank you to my militia bros in Iraq."
6 Mentioned Resources
7 The Wall Street Journal - reporting on the Stryker cyberattack and internal company communications.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:

Iran’s new supreme leader breaks his silence. Mojtaba Khamenei issues his first message since taking power after the death of his father, declaring the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed and warning that Iran will continue targeting U.S. military bases across the region.
The war with Iran may be expanding beyond the battlefield. A major U.S. medical technology company is hit by a suspected Iranian cyberattack that disables thousands of employee phones and laptops, raising concerns that Tehran may be opening a new digital front in the conflict.

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

Ridge Wallet: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code PDB at https://www.Ridge.com/PDB#Ridgepod

StopBox: Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code PDB10 at https://stopboxusa.com/PDB10 #stopboxpod

BRUNT Workwear: Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code PDB at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/PDB #Bruntpod

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices