The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief

PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 14th, 2026: Saudi Arabia SECRETLY Struck Iran During The War & Zelensky’s Corruption Crisis

May 14, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 14th, 2026: Saudi Arabia Secretly Struck Iran & Zelensky's Corruption Crisis

The regional war between Israel and Iran that erupted in late February has been far wider than publicly acknowledged. New reporting reveals that Saudi Arabia quietly launched retaliatory strikes inside Iranian territory in late March, following earlier revelations that the United Arab Emirates had done the same. Meanwhile, Ukraine's anti-corruption investigation has reached directly into President Zelensky's inner circle with the arrest of his former chief of staff on money laundering charges.

Saudi Arabia's Covert Retaliation Against Iran

According to Reuters, the Royal Saudi Air Force carried out strikes on Iranian soil in late March as "tit-for-tat retaliation" after Tehran launched waves of missiles and drones at the kingdom during the broader conflict. If confirmed, this marks the first known instance of Saudi Arabia directly attacking targets inside Iran, representing a major escalation between the Middle East's two most powerful regional rivals.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:36) **Saudi Arabia Secretly Struck Iran** - New reporting reveals the kingdom launched covert retaliatory strikes inside Iran in late March after Tehran attacked Saudi infrastructure.
  • 2 (03:36) **Iran Struck All Six Gulf States** - Tehran's retaliation for the US-Israel strikes on February 28th hit every Gulf Cooperation Council member, not just Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
  • 3 (04:50) **Gulf States as Independent Military Powers** - The hidden regional war reveals Gulf monarchies are no longer passive bystanders but are acting as independent military powers prepared to defend themselves.
  • 4 (09:41) **Zelensky's Former Chief of Staff Arrested for Corruption** - Ukrainian authorities detained Andriy Yermak, the president's ex-top aide, in a sprawling money laundering investigation.
  • 5 (11:26) **Corruption Probe Ties to Former Zelensky Business Partner** - Prosecutors are connecting the Yermak case to a separate $100 million kickback scheme in Ukraine's energy sector.
  • 6 (12:54) **Political Fallout from Leaked Wiretaps** - The scandal intensified after alleged wiretap transcripts were leaked, fueling speculation about how close the corruption network operated to Zelensky.
  • 7 (13:42) **Legal and Political Implications for Zelensky** - Under Ukrainian law, the president cannot be prosecuted while in office, but the scandal creates a serious reputational vulnerability.

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Show Notes

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:

  • Just days after reports revealed the UAE secretly struck Iran during the war, new reporting now claims Saudi Arabia quietly launched retaliatory attacks of its own inside Iranian territory.

  • Later in the show—a massive corruption investigation is getting dangerously close to Ukrainian President Zelensky, as his former chief of staff is arrested for alleged graft.

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