Get your day off to a great start with the delicious taste of Blackout Coffee. It's family-owned, premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. They roast the beans, they put them in the package, they get them to your doorstep, you put them in your mug. Bob's your uncle. Go to blackoutcauffy. Com, promo code PDB for 20% off your first-time purchase. It's Monday, 12:00. Welcome to the BDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, with the war in Eastern Europe intensifying, the UN's nuclear watchdog is sounding the alarm on the risks of a nuclear accident following a fire at a major nuclear power plant in Southern Ukraine. Also, in a major reversal, Israel is now warning that Iran could launch a direct retaliatory attack against Israel in the coming days, contradicting reports from over the weekend that suggested the Islamic regime had caved to both international pressure and requests from Iran's new President and had paused plans for a direct strike. But first, our afternoon spotlight. Moscow and Kyiv are trading blame after a fire broke out at a massive Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in Southern Ukraine.

I'm not a nuclear scientist, but I don't think that sounds very good, prompting a warning from the UN nuclear watchdog on the risks of a nuclear accident. The fire started sometime on Sunday at the occupied Zaporizhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, but critically, both sides said they have not detected elevated radiation levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, reported seeing plumes of dark smoke emanating from the northern part of the vast six-reactor plant following multiple unspecified blasts, and that's according to our report from Reuters. As a reminder, the plant was captured by Russian forces back in the early days of Moscow's invasion in 2022. It hasn't produced power in more than two years, and all six reactors have been placed in a state of cold shutdown since April. Without attributing blame, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned, These reckless attacks endanger nuclear safety at the plant and increase the risk of an accident. They must stop now. While Grossi said that, No impact has been reported for nuclear safety, he requested the agency be granted immediate access to the facility to assess any damage. Russia and Ukraine immediately, of course, pointed the finger at each other, with one senior Ukrainian commander accusing Russian forces of setting fire to automobile tires in the cooling towers to give the appearance that the plant was on fire.

Ukrainian President Zelensky also called it a Russian provocation saying the Kremlin was trying to blackmail Kyiv and play on Western fears of escalation. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian state nuclear Corporation, Rosatom, accused Kyiv without evidence, of striking the nuclear plant with two drones. Now, while the fire has been extinguished, the Russian official said it burned for more than three hours and caused extensive damage to the facility's cooling towers. Separately, Zaporitsy, as Kremlin installed governor, claimed the fire was a result of Ukrainian its shelling while adding that there was no danger of a nuclear leak. That's according to the BBC. It's worth noting that the fire comes less than a week after Ukraine's forces launched a surprise incursion into the Russian region of Kursk. That's their largest since the war broke out. As we discussed on this morning's PDB, Zelensky acknowledged the activity for the first time in a weekend address, saying Ukraine was pushing the war, into the aggressor's territory. The situation is not currently going well for Vladimir Putin, who has unironically called the incursion a, quote, major provocation. More than 76,000 residents from villages along the border have been forced to evacuate, and the Russian military is struggling to organize a coherent defense.

They're redeploying active fighting forces from other fronts in the war while also mobilizing Russian conscripts, and that's something that remains highly controversial among the Russian population. On Monday, Putin said the incursion was an attempt by Kyiv to upend Russia's current offensive in the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine, as well as a way for Ukraine to strengthen their negotiating hand for future ceasefire talks. Despite his military's failed response, Putin declared that Russian forces would ultimately prevail. As Putin attempts to project optimism, Ukrainian forces continue to gain ground inside Russia as of Monday, advancing as much as 19 miles into the Kursk region. Coming up after the break, in a major reversal, Israel now warning that Iran could launch a direct retaliatory attack against Israel in the coming days, despite reports from over the weekend indicating that Iranian leaders had shelved plans for a response in the face of both domestic and international pressure. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. In an update to this morning's PDB, Israel now suggests that Iran may launch a major attack within days, a stark shift from previous assumptions that Tehran had abandoned plans for immediate retaliation. The heightened tension comes as Israel prepares for a potential direct conflict during ongoing regional instability. This follows the assassination, of course, of Hamas leader Ishmael Hanei in Tehran in late July, for which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Disability. Tehran's potential immediate retaliation has reportedly caused divisions within Iran's leadership. Newly elected President Massoud Bzezeshkine is reportedly advocating for a more measured approach tied to the approval process of Iran's new government, which is set to be finalized by the Islamic Consultative Assembly within the next two weeks. Now, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamini supposedly also shares this perspective after persuasion from the new President. In contrast, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, is pushing for a large-scale attack driven by a desire to exceed the intensity of their 13 April assault in response to Israel's bombing of an Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. That attack marked Iran's first ever direct strike on Israel, involving hundreds of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted by Israel's defense systems with assistance from the US and other allies.

Israel's concerns have been communicated to the US Israeli Defense Minister Yov Galin discussed the situation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, prompting Austin to order the deployment of the USS Georgia, that's a nuclear-powered submarine, armed with cruise missiles, and to accelerate the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is equipped with F-35 C fighter jets to the region. The Pentagon's decision to publicly reveal the movement of the USS Georgia is a clear signal of deterrence to Iran. The presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, along with the already deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS WASP Amphibius Ready groups, underscores the US's commitment to countering any escalating aggression in the region. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Force's spokesperson, Rear Admir Daniel Haqari, reassured that the military remains vigilant, closely monitoring developments with Iran and also Hezbollah, Tehran's proxy terror, of course, in neighboring Lebanon. The situation, obviously, remains fluid, with Israeli officials warning of unprecedented responses if attacked. The rising tensions have already impacted international travel with airlines canceling or delaying flights into the region. We'll report the latest, of course, as the situation develops. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Monday, 12 August.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv. Com. And remember, if you want an ad-free PDB experience, become The Experience. Now, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium. Com. It's just that simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool..