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S2Underground 1 month ago
//The Wire//2000Z July 28, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MAJOR EARTHQUAKE STRIKES SOUTHERN JAPAN. NETANYAHU ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON D.C. FOR SEN. GRAHAM FUNERAL. HOUTHI TARGETING OF SAUDI OIL REFINERIES REMAINS CONSTANT.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Japan: This morning a major earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.1 struck the Kumamoto prefecture, causing damage to critical infrastructure and residential areas in southern Japan. Aeon Mall was one of the most heavily damaged structures, with several entrapments being reported as shoppers were unable to exit the building due to a partial collapse of the structure. After this collapse, a gas explosion was also reported at the mall, and as of this morning approximately 20-30x people remained missing. Middle East: No major changes to the overall situation were reported overnight. Satellite imagery has become available that confirms the Houthis not just hit the Jazan refinery a few days ago, but also the refinery at Yanbu. This afternoon, the Houthis announced that they had targeted a tanker vessel which has been at anchor off Yanbu for a few days, though the success of this targeting has not yet been confirmed. Analyst Comment: Despite the devastating strikes on Saudi oil facilities over the past few days, oil markets continue to plummet, indicating a sharp departure from the reality of the situation. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - Yesterday afternoon PM Netanyahu arrived for the state funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, as well as to conduct meetings regarding the war in Iran. This morning, the proceedings for Sen. Graham began at the Capitol, and various politicians and dignitaries are expected to make an appearance throughout the day. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Debate is growing regarding the general status of the war in the Middle East. Iranian targeting has remained fairly tepid after last week's strikes, although the Houthis have continued to deal damage to Saudi infrastructure over the past few days. For the United States, every indicator lined up last week to suggest weekend strikes were going to take place, but leaks from the White House and Pentagon have suggested that the strikes were called off for now. As to why, the rumors diverge sharply and there's no way to get a solid bead on what the actual plan is at the moment. The situation has reached another point (much like has happened before) where the US can just as equally go all-in on another round of strikes, or the US could do nothing. Nevertheless, if strikes are planned, timing wise it's almost certain to take place after Netanyahu returns home from his visit to the US. President Trump himself confirmed one of the main reasons for PM Netanyahu visiting Washington, is to provide an in-person briefing on the infamous Pickaxe Mountain complex at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran. In various statements since this leaked, President Trump pushed back on the significance of this underground complex (and thus indicating less support for conducting another Midnight Hammer-style operation), but as always this can go either way. Analyst: S2A1 Research: NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 1 month ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 27, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WEEKEND SHOOTING REPORTED AT SEATTLE FESTIVAL. VEHICLE RAMMING ATTACK REPORTED IN BERLIN. STABBING ATTACK REPORTED IN PARIS. IRANIAN TARGETING CONTINUES TO STRIKE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST, U.S. HAS NOT RESPONDED YET.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: After the intense Iranian targeting of American positions Friday evening, sporadic Iranian drone strikes have been reported throughout the region. Other than targeting American positions, Iranian drone attacks have also been observed striking Kurdish militia encampments in northeastern Iraq. On the American side, CENTCOM has not disclosed any strikes within Iran for several days. Red Sea/HOA: Nearly the entire Jazan Refinery in Saudi Arabia remains on fire following the Houthi targeting on Saturday. As of last night, fire detection satellites indicated that most of the facility has been totally destroyed and satellite imagery from yesterday indicates a very large fire at this facility is still burning and the smoke plume stretches over 50 miles to the south. Europe: This morning Iran issued a public condemnation of the Ukrainian targeting of a Russian vessel. Over the weekend a Ukrainian drone struck a Russian vessel, which resulted in the death of one crew member. This crew member happened to be an Iranian citizen, which prompted Foreign Minister Araghchi to issue a statement of outrage. Analyst Comment: It is very unlikely that the Ukrainians would have known that one random crewmember onboard a vessel was technically Iranian, but intentional or not, this incident is another step towards linking the war in Europe with the conflict in the Middle East. Germany: On Sunday, a vehicle ramming attack was reported at the Pride festival in Berlin. One assailant ramming his vehicle into a crowd in the vicinity of the Tiergarden west of the Brandenburg Gate, killing one person and wounding 29 others. After the ramming, the suspect exited the vehicle and reportedly stabbed several people with a machete, before fleeing the scene. This prompted a nationwide manhunt for the assailant that was carried out Sunday afternoon. By Sunday evening, the suspect had been located in a residential area of Spandau. Once located, the suspect allegedly tried to stab the arresting officers, which resulted in the suspect being shot and killed. The suspect was identified as Abdul Ballout, who had reportedly just been released from a juvenile detention facility. France: This morning a stabbing attack was reported in Paris, near Porte de Clichy. One assailant stabbed 3x women on the street, before being restrained by bystanders and an off-duty police officer. While being held down by responding citizens, the attacker claimed that the attack was Islamic in nature, prompting the government to classify this incident as a terror attack. -HomeFront- Washington: Yesterday a shooting was reported at the Bite of Seattle food festival at the Seattle Center. Multiple black/Middle Eastern males began shooting at each other inside a crowd at the event, which resulted in 3x people killed, and 4x others wounded. Analyst Comment: This incident was initially reported as a mass shooting, however the multiple shooters were not targeting the crowd, as this was almost certainly a gang/cultural shooting. As a result of the cultural implications, Seattle Police have not released the name of the suspect(s) they have in custody, nor have they released the photo of the suspect which remains at large. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Despite the substantial Iranian targeting over the past few days, the American response has so far been very minimal and no meaningful strikes have been conducted since Friday night within Iran. This is probably a reflection of the calm before the storm, as the United States continues to stage assets for a large scale attack sometime soon. Over the weekend, many phone calls were likely made which may have delayed whatever American targeting was planned to take place, as several Iranian/Houthi targeting efforts appear to have been more substantial than expected. The Houthi strike on the Jazan Refinery was very clearly an extremely devastating strike from the Houthis, which probably caused the Saudis pause regarding how much hurt the Houthis can bring to the table. Similarly, the heavy targeting of Erbil (and Patriot battery at this base) has likely resulted in a degradation of air defenses in this sector. How bad the damage is, is anyone's guess, but based on the scorch marks observed from space last week, it is hard to imagine this air defense site remaining operational. The Iranians have also claimed to have struck half a dozen other air defense sites throughout the region, but these can't be verified until better satellite imagery is available. Which might take time due to the deliberate censorship of imagery as mandated by the U.S. government. Over the past few weeks, anecdotal evidence from locals on the ground throughout the region has increasingly indicated fewer and fewer successful interceptions of Iranian munitions. These reports are very hard to quantify as most of the time it's a shepherd looking up and visually seeing the interceptors miss the Iranian missile, or no interceptors being launched in the first place. Obviously, these reports are about as unconfirmed as it can get, but the smoking craters that are visible on satellite imagery add a lot of credence to the general theory that, for whatever reason, interceptions are not as effective as advertised. However, as it stands the U.S. will probably respond in some way, not just because of the scale of the Iranian missile strikes, but also the fact that this targeting (and the collapse of the ceasefire) has resulted in the Strait of Hormuz remaining fully closed. What that response will be or when it will be carried out, only time will tell. Analyst: S2A1 Research: NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 1 month ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 20, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CENTCOM CONFIRMS FOUR AMERICAN CASUALTIES FOLLOWING IRANIAN STRIKES IN MIDDLE EAST. ARSON ATTACK REPORTED AT FEDERAL BUILDING IN NYC.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Jordan: Over the weekend CENTCOM confirmed the deaths of three US service members, who were killed as a result of the strikes on a barracks building at Muwaffaq al Salti Airbase. Two of the casualties have been identified as 1LT Tyler James Feehan, and Private Isabella Gonzales. The third casualty officially remains classified as Missing in Action as the remains will require DNA analysis to confirm identity, and has not yet been officially identified. A fourth casualty was also reported somewhere in Iraq, which was the result of an Iranian drone strike. Middle East: Following Iranian targeting of the al-Subiya Power Station, Kuwait has begun to rely on portable substations and generators to provide electricity while repairs are made. The scale of the power outages is not known, but Iranian forces have struck several logistical hubs and electrical power plants over the past few days. In Bahrain, Iranian targeting has remained heavy over the weekend, with several ballistic missile strikes reported at American installations around the country. Strait of Hormuz: Several more merchant vessels were struck over the past few days, most of which were tankers attempting to use the southern Omani route instead of the Iranian route. At least one of these vessels resulted in the crew abandoning ship before being rescued. Iran: After these collective strikes over the weekend, American targeting efforts intensified with the latest bombing campaign focusing on the targeting of bridges and civilian roadway tunnels around Bandar Abbas. Many of the roads that lead to the port city are now cut off, with only a few major roadways allowing access to the city. Several bridges have also already been repaired, and the status of others remains unclear until better satellite imagery is available. -HomeFront- New York: This morning an arson attack was reported at the Federal building in downtown Manhattan. One assailant approached the building with a bucket of gasoline, dumping the bucket at the northeast side of the structure. The suspect immediately ignited the pool of gas, which also contained a mix of commercial grade fireworks. The suspect was immediately detained by the plethora of police already on scene, as the accelerant burned on the sidewalk. Analyst Comment: No motive has yet been conveyed regarding this attack, however some of the paraphernalia scattered throughout the scene of the attack appears to be political in nature, opposing ICE. Washington D.C. - This morning, the latest numbers for Strategic Petroleum Reserve levels were released indicating that over the past week, the US has drained the SPR by an additional 5.1 million barrels, to it's lowest level since the Tanker War in 1983. Analyst Comment: Many might have assumed that the US might have re-stocked the SPR during the two-week ceasefire in the Middle East, however very little oil actually made it out of the region during that time, which amounted to only a tiny fraction of US daily usage. Since the war began five months ago, only a very small percentage of oil has exited the region, and the US has been draining the SPR at breakneck pace in order to keep the country going. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Concerning the American casualties sustained over the weekend, it is extremely important to note that the deaths of 1LT Feehan and PVT Gonzales are officially classified under Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (OIR)...not under Operation EPIC FURY (OEFU). Inherent Resolve is the long-standing mission to combat ISIS in Syria, and not in any way linked to the current war in Iran. As a result, the true number of casualties sustained warrants further investigation. This classification could have been an administrative error, but this would also be a way of camouflaging casualty figures. The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) is the main database for logging all American casualties, which are defined by military operation. In this case, these deaths are not cataloged under either operation yet, adding to the more broad (but also growing) concerns that the database has been concealing the true number of casualties, specifically the numbers of personnel wounded. In fact, while admonishing these concerns as "baseless and malicious accusations" Assistant Secretary of War Sean Parnell directly contradicted the numbers his own department was producing. He stated in an interview with CBS News that roughly 100 personnel had been wounded throughout the war over the past month....while his own database states that a grand total of zero personnel had been wounded for the month of July, and three in June. If this testimony is accurate, this confirms beyond all doubt that the Pentagon is lying about the number of troops wounded during this campaign. Considering that the Pentagon has disclosed a total of 413x soldiers wounded during this entire campaign, ~100x WIA being reported within a month (which also included a two-week ceasefire) is alarming to say the least. The cause of the fatalities reported over the weekend is also important to note as these deaths were very likely preventable. In the days leading up to the ballistic missile striking the housing at this base, the Iranians successfully struck the Patriot battery in Erbil, Iraq. This missile defense site would have been one of the sites providing protection for missiles launched into Jordan. With this battery offline or at least degraded in some way, it is possible that a clear air corridor existed that allowed Iranian ballistic missiles to fly unchallenged through a gap in air defense coverage. If the Erbil strike also damaged the radar array, it is also very possible that the warning time for an incoming ballistic missile would have been reduced, so any defenses at the target base would have been less effective. Obviously, the true scale of the damage to this air defense site would be classified, so in the public eye we have to guess as to how bad it was based on blurry satellite imagery. However the military commanders who knew the systems and did NOT have to guess, were also the same commanders who had the authority to either issue warnings or orders to disperse from the unprotected Containerized Housing Units (CHUs) that were struck by Iran. The failure of command to disperse their soldiers is what led to these fatalities. The very minute that the Patriot battery was struck in Erbil was a major clue that the Iranians were conducting shaping fires of their own...they were striking the air defense sites so as to open up a gap in air defense coverage, and reach out to American positions with their larger ballistic missiles. Though it is usually in poor taste to reflect on failures in the immediate aftermath of the death of troops, in the interest of expediency sometimes uncomfortable conversations must be had in order to prevent further loss of life. If a gap in air defense coverage is what allowed this strike to happen, it is almost certain that this gap still exists and that the danger to American service members is still not mitigated. For ALL American troops in the Middle East, this observation must be noted: If the Iranians are striking air defense sites, the next assumption must be that the Iranians are planning to strike something that would have been protected by that site. In retrospect this is common sense, but even at this very moment, the continued strikes on American positions (and the nearly total lack of fortification efforts at these bases, even to this day) continues to indicate that the Iranian targeting efforts are not being taken seriously by senior American decision makers. Five months into this war, CENTCOM leadership has still not figured out that the Iranians can strike their bases at will, and as demonstrated by the strikes in Kuwait and Jordan, the US is still not digging in, and also not dispersing enough to avoid troops getting killed. No underground fortification efforts have been undertaken at any base in the Middle East, and satellite imagery indicates that no substantial fortifications have been undertaken either. Granting as much leeway to the Pentagon's decision making process as possible, it is possible that no hardening of defenses would have mattered considering the missiles Iran is launching. Drone defense is one thing, but it would take years to build a bunker that would withstand the impact of an Iranian Fattah or Ghadr missile. Nevertheless, when it comes to defending American positions, doing something is better than doing nothing, and concrete does not take half a year to dry. Even if large-scale construction projects are off the menu, ALL military publications, textbooks, and training scenarios dictate and demand what has been obvious since World War One...Dispersion is the name of the game. This is what kept casualties to a minimum in Bahrain, but different theater commanders have different personal initiatives. Some are more proactive with their defense, and others have done nothing at all, besides making sure that all of the vehicles in the motorpool are lined up neatly. Where this goes from here is anyone's guess, but unless radical and immediate changes are made, the United States will continue to suffer casualties. And as long as the bombing continues which is motivating Iran to target our bases, this indirectly highlights the deficiencies with American air defense technologies, not just for this war, but for the wars to come. Analyst: S2A1 Research: NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 1 month ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 17, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: GULF WAR ESCALATES AS INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETING BEGINS. SIGNIFICANT IRANIAN RETALIATION REPORTED ON AMERICAN INSTALLATIONS. IRANIAN TARGETING OF MERCHANT SHIPPING REMAINS CONSTANT.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: The war escalated again overnight, with the United States beginning the series of strikes on bridges and infrastructure targets intended to soften up areas near the coast of Iran. Several bridges were struck in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas, along with the usual nightly strikes on more military targets. On the Iranian side, the targeting of American installations has been substantial over the past few days. In Iraq, Iranian forces successfully struck the Patriot battery in Erbil, with satellite imagery indicating burn scars in the vicinity of where one launcher was previously located. In the UAE, a series of warehouses and probable weapons storage facilities were destroyed at the Zayed Military City. In Kuwait, one of the HIMARS launcher sites on the Iraqi border was targeted, in addition to a desalination plant providing the fresh water supply for Kuwait City. Persian Gulf: The war on the seas continued with many different strikes and incidents being reported around the region. At the northern end of the Gulf, the UKMTO reported an unidentified incident involving a merchant vessel, which was carried out by unknown parties and in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, several targeting efforts of merchant vessels was reported throughout the day. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Last night's targeting in Iran possibly offers up a clue as to what the military objective of this specific operation might be. The bridges that were struck by the United States are not specifically military targets, however they did offer high-speed avenues of approach to the coastline. If the IRGC ground force needed to reinforce specifically the area of the coastline to the west of Bandar Abbas, north of Qeshm Island, these would be the bridges they would need to use. The bridges that were taken out also would be a way of isolating Bandar Abbas in terms of trade. In addition to the naval base being a military target, this is also a major civilian port city that handles the import of a lot of cargo for the nation (some reports claim up to 80% of Iran's imports arrive at this port). Under normal circumstances, taking out bridges is a tricky subject in the world of military targeting; if the bridge is predominantly used for military purposes, it's usually a valid target, but if it's predominantly a civilian bridge it's not normally legal to target. This categorization gets really blurry really quickly, but what is very clear is that targeting infrastructure like this isolates the military objective into only a few possibilities. Either the United States is attempting to go scorched-earth on civilian infrastructure so as to make life as miserable as possible and thus attempt to turn the populace against the government...or this is pre-shaping fires for other operations that might take place in the vicinity of the coastline. Neither option makes a whole lot of tactical sense, but making sense has not been a prerequisite for any military objective sought so far during this conflict, so the continued targeting over the next few days will probably shed some light on what the objective is with this latest campaign. As of this afternoon, dozens of refueling tankers are once again making their way into the Middle East from Europe and beyond, so the war is likely to continue escalating for foreseeable future. Analyst: S2A1 Research: NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 1 month ago
Hey everyone, kind of an odd one today. I had a spur of the moment thought this morning and decided that what I was going to say in tomorrow's Intel Update, would be best served as a dedicated podcast/video. I did not want to bog down the more informational content with a full-blown rant segment, so I recorded this separately. Link below!
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S2Underground 1 month ago
//The Wire//1800Z July 16, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: UKRAINIAN ATTACKS CONTINUE ON RUSSIAN SHIPPING IN BLACK SEA, RUSSIA RETALIATES BY STRIKING UKRAINIAN SHIPPING. WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO SPREAD IN CANADA.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Europe: The war in Ukraine has continued to expand, with attacks on Russian merchant vessels remaining constant in the Black Sea. Russia has likewise retaliated by striking Ukrainian vessels also located within the Black Sea, as well as several port cities in southwestern Ukraine. Middle East: The war continues as before, with regular strikes taking place in the coastal regions which have been host to targeting for several days. Last night the US struck the port of Bandar Abbas again, and the Iranians have responded with attacks on Kuwait, which continued sporadically overnight. Analyst Comment: One aspect of the war that has not escalated for now, has been the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. After the initial mutual strikes two days ago, the Saudi's have chosen to back off of this line of effort, probably because they realized how bad of an idea it is to start a fight with the Houthis right now. That Saudi East-West Pipeline is the main asset that is keeping Saudi Arabia in the global oil market right now, and the Houthis can very easily threaten their main revenue source. Canada: Over the past few days, wildfires have continued to spread throughout the nation. As of this morning, at total of 859x wildfires are actively burning nationwide in Canada, most of which are clustered in Ontario, Qeubec, and the Northwest Territories. Of these active fires, 63x are out of control with zero percent containment. Evacuations of thousands of rural and tribal areas have been ordered over thousands of square miles, and air quality alerts have been issued for much of the American northeast and mid-Atlantic due to the smoke. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Though not exactly grabbing front page headlines, the war in Ukraine has continued to expand and become increasingly more serious during this year's summer offensive. Numbers are hard to independently verify, but the Ukrainians claim a total of 136x Russian vessels have been struck so far during this Black Sea targeting campaign since it began last week. This number seems a little high, but what is undeniable is that the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have become a new front during this war...for both sides, as demonstrated by the Russians now targeting Ukrainian ships. Equally important is the impact this is having on the broader Russian oil market. Previous strikes on petroleum refineries resulted in fuel shortages throughout Russia, which have varied by severity and location. Striking tankers in the Black Sea really only impacts the petroleum export market, and the long-term impacts of this will be interesting to follow. Like it or not, the concept of globalization has functioned as designed, and most nations are linked to each other in ways that are not readily apparent at first. Russia mostly exports oil to India and China, and their exports have remained high during the Persian Gulf crisis. So Ukraine, in striking the oil intended for China, is directly playing a hand in the Gulf War...a conflict thousands of miles away. How this will manifest over the next few weeks will be important. Gas prices in the US have been MUCH cheaper than they should be, due to a long list of factors, one of which has been the Chinese dipping into their own reserves to sharply reduce their demand. Ukraine strikes ships intended for China, and China now has to either dip into their reserves more...or buy more oil from the Middle East, and demand goes up in an already restricted supply chain. The Gulf War is still hot to some degree, and the miniscule flow of oil that had begun to trickle out of the Gulf during the ceasefire has once again slowed to a drip...and now that Ukraine is striking Russian oil intended for China, an already tight oil market is probably going to be squeezed even harder. Analyst: S2A1 Research: NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 1 month ago
This week's Intel Update is out! This week has seen a resurgence of many conflicts around the world, as the fate of both Ukraine and the Middle East hang in the balance and both wars heat up. Link below!
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S2Underground 2 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 2, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: VEHICLE RAMMING INCIDENT REPORTED IN THAILAND. POTENTIAL TERROR ATTACK THWARTED IN NORTH CAROLINA. GOVERNOR WALZ PARDONS LAOTIAN MIGRANT CONVICTED OF ABUSE, COMPLICATING DEPORTATION. US NAVY HELICOPTER CRASHES IN ARABIAN SEA.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Thailand: This morning a vehicle ramming incident was reported in the remote province of Mukdahan, after one individual rammed a vehicle into a group of Buddhist monks who had just departed on a pilgrimage walk on a remote road. A total of 9x monks were killed during the incident, and an unknown number of others wounded. Analyst Comment: The suspect in this case has not been identified, but has been noted as being an 11-year-old child. As a result it's not clear as to if this is genuinely a deliberate action or not. Initially, eyewitness statements claimed it was a deliberate attack, but other eyewitnesses state that the boy was driving too fast and lost control of the vehicle. More generally, attacks on Buddhists on pilgrimage are comparatively rare, but there has been an ongoing conflict to the south of the incident site which has been referred to as the Malay-Muslim Insurgency, which has taken the form of guerilla warfare carried out between factions of Buddhists and Muslims. In Thailand, something as simple as an unrelated child's mistake (though horribly tragic) can always stir up tensions in an already tense region, so this might be something to be aware of for later on. Middle East: Yesterday afternoon the Pentagon announced an aviation incident which involved an MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter from the USS *GEORGE H.W. BUSH* CSG making an emergency landing feet-wet in the Arabian Sea. Three of the four crew members of the aircraft were rescued immediately after the crash, however the fourth crewmember remains missing. Analyst Comment: CENTCOM has not confirmed the cause of the incident, however the crash is not believed to be the result of combat damage. The Iranians have not claimed to have targeted a helicopter, nor have there been any engagements over the past 24 hours in the region. -HomeFront- Minnesota: Gov. Tim Walz pardoned Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian man who had been convicted of crimes against children years ago. Vang had been engaging in the traditional Laotian practice of taking an unwilling child bride, and was subsequently arrested and given a deportation order back in 2006. He took a plea deal which allowed him avoid prison completely, and for twenty years has been fighting his deportation case. Yesterday, Gov. Walz approved his pardon request roughly a week before his schedule deportation. Analyst Comment: It is unclear as to why a state pardon would have any bearing whatsoever with federal immigration law, but the statements made by Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis suggest that the DHS is not keen to press the issue at the federal level. The DHS press release on this case expressed outrage, but no action to actually continue following through on the deportation. North Carolina: Following the release of court documents yesterday, details have come to light pertaining to a probable attempted terror attack that took place on Sunday in High Point. On Sunday, a member of the security team spotted a suspicious individual approaching Wesley Memorial Methodist Church during the morning services. One suspect arrived in the church parking lot wearing body armor and camouflaged clothing, prompting the attention of a member of the church security staff. Upon approaching the individual, the security guard questioned the suspect, who stated that he was a police officer. As the security team member was an off-duty police officer himself, he instantly knew that the man was lying, and immediately took the man into custody. After more authorities arrived on scene, a search of the suspect's vehicle revealed two flamethrowers, two crossbows, a few hundred rounds of ammunition (unknown type), as well as a small collection of narcotics. The suspect has been identified as William S. Milliken III, a native of Thomasville. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Regarding the potential church terrorism incident, no motive or explanation for the suspicious incident was noted, however incidents like this are extremely common in the world of counterterrorism. Individuals determined to carry out acts of terrorism are frequently known to conduct "dry runs" before the actual attack, so as to both work out the final logistics of their plan, but also to get up the gumption to follow through with the attack. It is not clear as to if this individual had any connection to the church, or had visited the church beforehand. However, arriving exactly during services on Sunday in a full tactical loadout, as primitive as it was, is not something that normally indicates a dry run. Though it is speculation, it's possible that the suspect did not know that the church had security on site, or that the one responder would have been as on-the-ball as he was. Concerning motive, nothing has been disclosed. A would-be assailant who shows up to a terrorist attack with 500x rounds of ammunition but no firearm is an interesting data point, and the choice of crossbows and flamethrowers as an attack vector indicates that a proper firearm probably could not be procured. More details may come to light as this case progresses, but even based on the initial details, this is another reminder for religious institutions to remain vigilant and report any suspicious observations to authorities. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 2 months ago
This week's Intel Update is out! Right on the edge of peace in the Middle East, this week things appear to be on very rocky ground. The potential for derailing the peace talks is high, and many true colors are coming to light as the world awaits a settlement to a rather complicated war. Link below:
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S2Underground 2 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 19, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WAR IN LEBANON INTENSIFIES OVERNIGHT, IRANIAN DELEGATION DEPARTS SWITZERLAND AS STATUS OF PEACE TALKS REMAINS UNCERTAIN. UNIDENTIFIED MAN THROWS CHILD IN CROCODILE PIT IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE BEFORE BEING IMMEDIATELY RELEASED BY POLICE.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: After the ceasefire document was signed in Versailles yesterday, Israeli forces conducted large-scale bombing campaigns in Lebanon. Dozens of airstrikes were reported along the southern and eastern fronts as the cities of Maifadoun, Nabatieh, and Toul were heavily targeted this morning. The number of casualties remains unknown as most of the region surrounding this cluster of towns was destroyed by the bombing. At some point during the night, Hezbollah conducted an ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) attack on an IDF tank which killed four crewmembers. This prompted an even more substantial IDF response, which continued throughout the night. By morning, several reports of a ceasefire emerged between the IDF and Hezbollah, scheduled to take place at 4:00pm local time. However, as of this report several strikes have taken place after the ceasefire, and the status of the alleged halt to the fighting remains uncertain. Analyst Comment: As the bombing in Lebanon has continued throughout this morning, limited reporting out of Switzerland suggests that the Iranian delegation has departed ahead of schedule, and peace talks have been halted. Some initial reports also circulated stating that the Strait of Hormuz had been re-closed as well, however as of this report this might have been a knee-jerk reaction that has been mitigated and merchant traffic has continued to increase throughout the Persian Gulf this afternoon. United Kingdom: This morning an attack was reported at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a tourist farm/venue in Cambridgeshire. The incident involved a 30-year-old man (who was attended by two caregivers), snatching a 3-year-old child, and throwing him into the crocodile enclosure at the small zoo section of the farm. The zoo owner's wife jumped into the enclosure and rescued the boy, while visitors detained the man who conducted the attack. Analyst Comment: The assailant had no connection with the victim, and the attack appears to be random. This case has added to the already-high levels of outrage as the suspect's name and appearance is being withheld...but he's already been released from police custody, as the police deemed him too mentally ill to even be interviewed. Instead, he was released from custody altogether. The boy who was thrown into the enclosure was bitten by a crocodile, and remains hospitalized undergoing treatment. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: If the bombing in Lebanon carries on, the peace deal has little chance of lasting the weekend. In fact, it might already be too late if the Iranians decide that the United States is not capable of constraining the Israelis in Lebanon. The White House has attempted to tame the situation by reportedly assuring the Iranians that the targeting is over, however as this reporting hit social media, the Israeli's were still hitting Lebanon. Also, reports on the timing of last night's events vary somewhat. Some reports claim that the Israeli's were only responding to the targeting of the armored column, which prompted the bombing. However, the tank that was hit was advancing (not withdrawing) and at the time it was located about 6 miles into Lebanese territory on the northwest side of the Litani River. Also, some reports claim that the bombing campaign actually began before the tank was struck by Hezbollah, but these local reports are hard to verify. In the context of the peace agreement that has found itself on rocky ground, the targeting efforts overnight were not a small engagement...this was a substantial bombing campaign that is probably the IDF's biggest push so far in Lebanon. Many locations were completely leveled and it's quite clear that the Israelis gave some cities throughout southern Lebanon a miniature version of the Gaza treatment last night. It is quite possible that this is the standard final punch below the belt after the bell, and it would have been extremely naive for either the United States or Iran to not assume that this would happen immediately upon a ceasefire agreement being signed. As a result, it's not certain as to if this will outright derail the deal; this may have been an assumption that was already baked in to what the U.S. and Iran agreed to behind closed doors. Nevertheless the main issue for the world, the Strait of Hormuz, remains the main point of leverage. If the Iranians want to press the issue by closing the Strait again, that's up to them and so far it's hard to say how they might handle the issue. Both sides can see the elephant in the room, and both sides know the difficulty in addressing it. The next big friction point will be in determining what this stunt has cost the American diplomatic team in terms of negotiating terms and getting the Iranians back to the table. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 2 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 18, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MOU SIGNED BY IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO END THE WAR. UKRAINIAN DRONE ATTACK STRIKES PETROLEUM INFRASTRUCTURE IN MOSCOW.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Last night President Trump and President Pezeshkian signed the Memorandum of Understanding to start the process of ending the war. The agreement was signed early, while President Trump was participating in a state dinner with President Macron in Versailles. Two different physical copies of the document were signed, one in English and one in the Persian language of Farsi. Analyst Comment: President Pezeshkian also signed the document on camera in Tehran, and provided scans of the document he signed, and so far the terms themselves are identical to what was disclosed by CNN yesterday, or at least they appear to be. The American copy of the deal has not yet been published by the White House. Strait of Hormuz: This afternoon CENTCOM announced the lifting of the American blockade, and some merchant traffic is moving, with one French LNG tanker, and a few Saudi tankers exiting the Strait overnight. A few dozen other ships have continued to enter/exit the Persian Gulf over the past few days (mostly local or Iranian-aligned traffic), and all shipping has so far used the new Iranian route to the north of the traditional traffic separation scheme. Russia: Overnight, Ukraine conducted a large scale drone attack on Moscow, targeting petroleum infrastructure. Ukraine conducted the attack with hundreds of long-range drones, with most being intercepted before reaching their targets. However, several drones successfully evaded air defenses, striking the Kapotnya Refinery to the southeast of the city. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The strikes in Moscow are the latest escalation this fighting season, with both sides trading attacks on major cities over the past few months. Russia has been hitting Kiev with hundreds of drones each week, and Ukraine has likewise been targeting Russian oil infrastructure throughout the nation. This is no different than how the war has been fought so far, but at this late hour, the ferocity of the efforts on all sides has become intense. Both sides seek to make as much progress as possible before winter, with the Russians looking to continue their advances on the Eastern Front, while the Ukrainians want to strike deep into Russia to pressure the Russian population and economy. Time will tell how this develops over the next few weeks, but with alleged peace ideations being present on both sides of this conflict, both sides will continue tradition, and try to take ground before approaching the negotiating table once again. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 2 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 17, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: UNITED STATES RELEASES TERMS OF MOU TO END THE GULF WAR. CONFUSION ABOUNDS REGARDING STATUS OF MERCHANT SHIPPING IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. INTERSTATE SHOOTING SPREE CONDUCTED IN KANSAS CITY. RAPE GANG INQUIRY REPORT RELEASED IN UNITED KINGDOM.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: This morning, the United States published the text of the upcoming Memorandum of Understanding, which is to be signed on Friday. This disclosure was made by American officials to CNN and Bloomberg at the G7 summit, who verbally read the terms and provided the text to MSM outlets. Per this text, the general gist of the deal is very similar to what the Iranians claim, but with some minor differences. The most contentious item of the deal is right up front in Paragraph 1: the war in Lebanon is included as part of the deal. *All* sanctions on Iran will also be lifted, and a $300 billion reparations payment will be funded by the United States and other Arab nations for the reconstruction of Iran's infrastructure that was destroyed in the war. President Trump also verbally stated that Iran's missile program will remain, and is not part of the deal. Strait of Hormuz: The status of shipping remains uncertain as both sides continue to enforce the mutual blockades. Several Iranian ships have crossed the American blockade line, despite NAVCENT stating that the blockade is still in effect, but western-aligned ships have been hesitant to make the crossing due to the confusion. Analyst Comment: Right now a lot of commercial firms and insurance companies are trying to figure out what to do, and a surge of petroleum tankers is heading toward the Middle East right now, as the world awaits the resumption of normal shipping this weekend. The US and Iran have thirty days after Friday to allow shipping to resume, but 60 days after the agreement is signed, Iran will retain the right to charge tolls for access to the Persian Gulf, granting the Iranians de facto control of the waterway. As a result, the insurance status of commercial shipping remains unclear, though rates will very likely be permanently elevated, much like how many shipping companies never reverted back to the Red Sea route following the Houthi targeting two years ago. Many companies still take the longer route around Africa, so that situation has not yet returned to normal, and though alternative access routes for the Persian Gulf don't really exist, it will take many months for shipping to work out the details of how to proceed. -HomeFront- Missouri: Last night, a mass shooting spree was reported throughout Kansas City as one assailant conducted small arms attacks at five different sites throughout the city. Local authorities state that all of these shootings stem from the same incident, which appears to involve an individual in a vehicle, traveling eastbound on I-70 shooting at other vehicles also traveling the same direction. Later that night, a fifth shooting site was located after a man was found wounded in his vehicle at the intersection of Truman Road and Bennington Avenue. This man later died at a local hospital. All total, five different vehicles were targeted, and a total of four people were wounded, and one person killed, during the attacks throughout the day. By this morning, the link between all shootings was discovered, and the suspect was located at his residence in Independence, where a barricaded-shooter situation is currently underway. More details are expected as the situation develops. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In the United Kingdom, the Rape Gang Inquiry Report was released last night. This report was compiled by a Parliamentary effort led by MP Rupert Lowe, with the goal of investigating the official documents and criminal cases of mass the rape of British society by Pakistani men since the 1950's. Specifically, the investigation seeks to examine the industrialization of rape, organized into cells or Rape Gangs, which conducted assaults on a scale never before seen by the civilized world. This report revealed that an minimum of 250,000 British girls have been systemically raped, tortured, and victimized by these gangs, which included a large percentage of police officers, judges, and Members of Parliament. An entire ecosystem had been established for the police to arrest any victims of the gangs, with victims in most cases being raped hundreds of times by police officers while allegedly being in victim protection programs, even after the scandal became public years ago. Nearly 40% of the land mass of the nation was host to these gangs, which were not conducting isolated attacks, but industrial-scale crimes at a volume that is simply indescribable. The 200+ page report is not for the faint of heart as it describes in excruciating detail the evidence examined in this case, and nearly all of it is too horrific for mixed company. The closest approximation for a wider audience would be to imagine a network of *hundreds of thousands* of Jeffrey Epsteins, committing acts that were so horrific that Epstein's own network did not engage in this level of depravity. For most people, this document will be the absolute worst thing they will ever read in their entire life. Right now, the western world is at an impasse. The recent social tension in the U.K. due to the stabbing attacks has served as a primer for whatever comes next. Understanding the severity of this report, the National Crime Agency has snapped-to, and ordered the re-investigation of rape gang reports going back to 2010, in an attempt to get ahead of the tidal wave of righteous anger that has begun to rise throughout society. The entire Child Services ecosystem of the United Kingdom is currently serving as a clearing house to funnel a quarter of a million children to Muslim rape gangs. Kier Starmer himself was the director of Public Prosecutions during the height of this atrocity, and personally signed off on ~13,000 rape gang members being released with nothing more than a warning letter. If these people were sent a letter, that means they have names and addresses. It will be for the British people to decide how best to proceed, and it will take some time for organizational efforts to take hold, considering the sheer scale of this crisis. It will also be wise to consider that this problemset is not unique (nor contained) to the British Isles. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 2 months ago
This week's intel update is out! Once more another week blazes by, and the conflagrations around the world continue to simmer. From the Fiery-But-Mostly-Irish protests in Northern Ireland, to a bit of mathematical impossibilities in the Middle East, the summertime keeps heating up all around. Link:
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S2Underground 2 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 12, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: BELFAST RIOTS CONTINUE. MASS SHOOTING REPORTED IN TEXAS. RHETORIC AND DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS REMAIN AS TALK OF POTENTIAL SETTLEMENT CONTINUES REGARDING WAR IN MIDDLE EAST.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Last night, Iranian state media released some details of the alleged Memorandum of Understanding which is allegedly being considered by Iran and the United States. 40 minutes after the opening bell on Wall Street this morning, President Trump announced on social media that the terms of the alleged Memorandum of Understanding as leaked by the Iranians are not what has been discussed privately. No details were provided on what items were disputed. Scotland: Yesterday, Ilia Belov and Nadjedzha Belov were both convicted of "threatening or abusing behavior" toward four girls who were at the center of a major scandal last year. As it turns out, the initial claims made by the legendary Hatchet-Girl were true; this brother-sister team were attempting to target the girls, and when they resisted being attacked, the Belov family called the police and complained of racism. This prompted the now-viral video recording by which the girls defended themselves with knives and hatchets. This court case confirmed that the girls were telling the truth about being assaulted, as CCTV footage which exonerated them was initially ignored by Police Scotland, but was uncovered during the trial. -HomeFront- Texas: This afternoon an active shooter incident was reported in Midland after unknown circumstances resulted in a protracted firefight on West Wall Street. Local authorities first announced the situation as a barricaded shooter incident, as an individual began firing at passersby from a structure near an old veterinary clinic. Around a dozen people were wounded in some manner during shooting, and the shooter was killed at the scene. The suspect has been identified as Victor Mata Villarreal. Analyst Comment: The circumstances of this shooting are sketchy at best. The area is not a crowded venue that is the normal target for mass shooters, and the exact location of the shooting has not yet been disclosed. It's possible that the shooter was concealed in a fighting position inside the abandoned veterinary clinic, and was shooting at passing cars on the highway, however this is pure speculation based on the geolocation of videos taken at the scene. Some reports claim that Villarreal was a Mexican national with a visa-overstay, but this is not confirmed at this time. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In the Middle East, rhetoric on all sides has continued overnight, and parsing all of the latest developments is challenging due to many contradictions flying around. As of this report, some sort of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is allegedly ready to be signed on Sunday. This MOU is reportedly not a peace deal, but a formalization of the ceasefire that was supposed to be implemented this entire time. These types of documents are fairly standard in the world of diplomacy as it's generally a waste of time to send diplomats around the world to engage in talks, if neither side is at least in the ballpark when it comes to what they might accept. An MOU being signed is a step toward peace, but it's not a peace deal itself. So far, the United States has not been entirely forthcoming regarding the details, but as of early this morning, President Trump has refuted the plan that the Iranians have leaked. However, in the absence of any clarification or details of the plan being disclosed, we have to go off of what the Iranians are claiming for now. The grand question remains...what's on the table for negotiations? First and foremost, the alleged MOU results in a 60-day extension of the alleged ceasefire, which is a period of time that will be used to work toward a final deal. Mostly, the MOU includes the 14-point plan that is very similar to what's already been discussed. The nuclear issue is allegedly not being addressed in this memorandum and Iran's missile program is completely off the table altogether. The Iranians would open the Strait, but retain control of it. Funds that have been frozen by the United States would be released to the Iranians, and the status of the long-standing array of sanctions would be worked out during the 60-day extension period. As far as what the United States will get in return, it does not seem like much, which is probably why President Trump denied the details of this leak this morning. The Strait of Hormuz being opened to allow American and other western-aligned vessels through would be the only real bone for the United States, but there is also talk of including some of the "magic dirt" (allegedly radioactive debris from the Midnight Hammer strikes), though this has not been clarified as of yet. It's almost certain that the neither the U.S. nor Israel would accept this deal as it stands, but until the US reveals what they claim their terms are, all of the rhetoric of the past few days leaves the situation exactly as it's been for months. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 3 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 10, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WAR REIGNITES IN IRAN AS MUTUAL TARGETING CONTINUES AROUND THE REGION. PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS ALLEGEDLY SECRET OPERATION IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. RIOTS AND UNREST REMAIN CONSTANT IN NORTHERN IRELAND.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: The war has continued to escalate as all sides remain engaged in active targeting operations throughout the region. After the reported shootdown of the American helicopter, the United States conducted 10-12x strikes throughout Iran in retaliation. Similarly, the Iranians attacked Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain again, striking airfields that are being used by American aircraft to conduct the war. This afternoon President Trump stated that American bombing will continue, and bombing sorties have already resumed with targets reportedly being struck once again throughout Iran. Northern Ireland: Unrest continued throughout Belfast throughout the night, with most of the more kinetic phases of the evening focusing around arson attacks on migrant housing projects throughout the city. Several dozen different sites and residential structures were burned down, and throughout the afternoon the riots have continued around the city. Analyst Comment: According to local reports, nobody was killed or stabbed during the night, so as of this morning at least, the "Chicago Way" has not been relied upon for conflict resolution throughout the city just yet. All things considered, the city has probably gotten off lightly so far considering the gravity and circumstances of the case that started all of this. However, as of this report, the second night of rioting has begun, and unrest looks to be in the forecast for the next few days. -HomeFront- Texas: Local dissent continues to grow in the wake of the Karmelo Anthony verdict, as Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison yesterday afternoon. So far only low-level unrest has been observed, however some BLM protests have remained persistent outside the Collin County courthouse, which have involved assaults and incidents between groups of protesters. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: This afternoon, President Trump revealed what is alleged to be a secret campaign to get more oil out of the Persian Gulf. This plan, the exact details of which remain very unclear, allegedly has resulted in hundreds of ships transiting the Strait, along with 100 million barrels of oil since the start of the operation. It's not immediately clear as to if this operation is still ongoing or not, but speculating a bit, this master plan appears to involve the US Navy attempting to conduct a grand shell game using a variety of electronic trickery, so as to sneak some vessels out of the Strait. Once in the Gulf of Oman, Ship-to-Ship transfers of oil are conducted, and the same ships run back through the Strait to pick up another load of oil. This has been suspected for some time as it's not exactly easy to hide a massive tanker vessel. In President Trump's social media post disclosing the operation, this "200 ship" claim needs more clarification because so far the numbers don't add up. This figure could be a total number of ships and not specifically oil tankers...small regional fishing boats are probably included in this figure. Even so, using his own numbers, the US has allegedly moved 100 million barrels of oil since May, during this secret operation. The average Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carries about 2 million barrels of crude oil, so this would be equivalent to 50x trips...over a period of at least a month. Before the war, about 20 million barrels of oil transited the Strait every day. Since the war started, this flow has been effectively cut off. The Saudi's have helped supplement the situation with their East-West Petroline system which runs overland, with a capacity of 7 million bbl/d. Similarly, the Emirates have tried sneaking oil out through Omani terminals on the Gulf of Oman side of the Strait (which is why Iran has been striking Oman semi-regularly since the start of the war). Since deception has been disclosed and confirmed in this case, honesty is not a part of this equation. It is possible that this "secret" operation was more effective than at first glance. However, since it's unwise to tell the world about a secret military operation that is currently ongoing, it's also possible that it was *less* effective than stated, and thus has been concluded much like Project Freedom initially was. The latter option is the most likely based on the little information that we have, because the claim of 100 million barrels of secret oil only amounts to about five days worth of crude due to the US consuming about 21 million bbl/d in the summertime (from all sources, including domestic production). Credit must be granted where credit is due, and this alleged operation is at least an attempt for the White House to fix the energy crisis that it started, which is a step in the right direction. However in this case the grand question remains as to whether or not it was worth it. Civilian mariners putting their lives at risk while drone boats guide them through a minefield, for so little oil that the world did not even notice...might be a rather suboptimal arrangement on the strategic level. As a result, if this deception campaign was working to alleviate some pressure on the global oil crisis, nobody seems to have told the Department of Energy because the United States has continued to drain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at record rates. All total, the US has released around 172 million barrels from the SPR since the war began, most of which was sold for export as most US domestic refinement is heavily reliant on crude from the Middle East. If the US did indeed succeed in a total of 100 million barrels exiting the Strait...it did not just disappear, it had to go somewhere and somebody had to account for it over the past few months. Ships carrying oil don't just vanish into thin air, and there is undoubtedly a paper trail leading to the truth. Consequently, it's possible that the truth is being bent quite heavily and the numbers don't add up. Taking all of this at face value however, even with clever tricks, the Saudi's backup pipeline, US refinement booming, and draining our strategic reserves, basic arithmetic indicates that this is not enough to halt the energy crisis from getting more serious with each passing day. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 3 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 9, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: ATTEMPTED BEHEADING REPORTED IN IRELAND, RIOTS UNDERWAY. U.S. ARMY HELICOPTER SHOT DOWN IN GULF OF OMAN. KARMELO ANTHONY FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Overnight one U.S. Army AH-64 helicopter crashed feet-wet off the coast of Oman. Both the pilot and the co-pilot/gunner managed to egress from the aircraft, and were rescued two hours after the crash. At the time of the crash, CENTCOM did not disclose the reason for the incident, however this afternoon President Trump confirmed that this aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces. Analyst Comment: Two hours in the water is a long time in terms of Combat Search and Rescue, and it's a miracle that they were rescued. Of note, some sources are claiming that the rescue method for the downed aviators took the form of an unusual source...an American Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). If this is true (which we may never know), this would be the first instance of an American drone boat being used for rescue operations in a combat zone. Northern Ireland: Yesterday evening an extremely graphic beheading attempt was reported on a residential street in Belfast. One Sudanese national attacked a local, gouging out his eyes with a knife and attempting to behead him. The exceptionally brutal attack was captured on tape, and the video circulated widely in the moments after the attack. The status of the victim remains unclear, but he is receiving medical care for his many wounds. The victim has not been identified by name, however he's reportedly from Scotland and also hard-of-hearing, leaving him more vulnerable to the attack. Analyst Comment: The attacker was initially hospitalized at The Mater, the main hospital in Belfast. It is unclear as to if the attacker is still physically located at this site, but he was spotted in the hospital by local intelligence networks as he was being given a medical exam post-incident. The suspect is most likely being held at the Musgrave Custody Suite on Victoria Street, which is one of the more protected sites in Belfast and can hold high-security detainees. Despite the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) not charging this individual under terrorism charges, there's a very high likelihood that the attacker would not survive the first night once other detainees found out what he did. The assailant was granted asylum status as a refugee a few years ago, though the exact nature of this legal status is not entirely clear. -HomeFront- Texas: This afternoon Karmello Anthony was found guilty of the murder Austin Metcalf. So far limited protest activity has been observed outside the courthouse. Analyst Comment: No big mobilizations or riots have been observed yet, however more significant efforts might take some time to organize as it's only a Tuesday. Too soon to tell if this is going to become a hot state of unrest, but seeing as tension has been building on this for a while, it could go either way. The next big decision point will be sentencing, which will be decided soon by the same jury. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As one might expect, the situation in Northern Ireland has reached a boiling point. Mass riots are already underway as of this report (and likely planned for the next few weeks), as the Irish begin to organize and mobilize. Tonight, local paramilitary groups have requested all residents of Belfast to turn off their doorbell cameras, and PSNI checkpoints are already established around the city preparing for the events of the next few days. Concerning the site of the mutilation, the location of the attempted beheading has been host to violence before. This exact apartment building has been the site of violent murders in the past. In 2019, two bodies were found brutally murdered inside Kinnaird Close, with the trial for the murderer concluding a couple of years ago. Of note, the attack yesterday evening was halted by Irishmen who intervened to attempt to stop the murder. Matthew McKiernan (Gaelic spelling: Maitiu Mág Tighearnán) has been identified as the man who clubbed the African with a hurley stick, attempting to stop the attack. He and other pedestrians did what they could, but by the time they were able to intervene, exceptionally grave wounds had already been sustained by the victim. They did their best, but there was only so much they could do as taking care of the problem was not a viable option as police were seconds away from the scene and would have absolutely arrested citizens for continuing the counterattack on the African after they arrived. Nevertheless, the entire city of Belfast is calling for blood right now, and tonight they might just get it. For historical context, this brutal attack took place in one of the most contentious districts on Earth. Belfast was one of the epicenters of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the northwest quadrant of the city is still host to many "peace lines" to this very day. Granted, most of the old maps designating the Catholic/Nationalist/Republican (CNR) areas from the Protestant/Ulster/Loyalist (PUL) areas of the city are a bit outdated and not as strictly delineated in real life as it is marked on the map sometimes. Plus, the old history of political ideology, infamous organizations, and current political leadership is incredibly complicated. In short, neither side can rightfully point the finger at the other on this issue, because elements on both sides have resulted in furthering mass migration into Ireland. On the ground, this attack took place in a strong CNR community, right along a historic dividing line, so multiple communities have a vested interest in handling the situation. Even before sunset this evening communities which have quite literally killed each other over dividing lines, are at least beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of the current migration situation, while also acknowledging that singing songs and holding hands is still unlikely between Protestants and Catholics in many of these communities. Though the situation is incredibly complicated, when it comes to beheadings in the streets, the seriousness of the situation is stratifying along bigger lines than the history of the region. At his core, an Irishman is an Irishman, regardless of affiliation, and much like most of Western Civilization, the unofficial national sports are drinking, fighting, and blowing stuff up. As a result, there are solutions to these problems, if attention on all sides can be focused appropriately. There may indeed be more room for slight-cooperation between age-old factions which might have the chance to re-examine what lines of division are worth postponing for a time, as more pressing threats are already inside the fence....threats which are neither Catholic nor Protestant. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 3 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 8, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WAR IN MIDDLE EAST REIGNITES AFTER IRAN AND ISRAEL CONTINUE MUTUAL TARGETING EFFORTS. MORE SCREWWORM CASES REPORTED IN AMERICAN SOUTHWEST. DRONE SHOOTDOWN REPORTED IN LATVIA.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Last night the war resumed again with both Israel and Iran exchanging missiles throughout the evening. The conflict began after a flare up in Lebanon yesterday afternoon, which involved Israeli forces and Hezbollah launching missiles at each other shortly before midnight (local time). Due to this targeting effort, the Iranians launched several ballistic missiles toward Israel. All total, approximately 30x missiles were launched, with an unknown number being intercepted. Immediately after these missiles were launched, Israeli aircraft crossed into Jordan and launched long-range missiles targeting unknown locations within Iran. Red Sea/HOA: Following the recent escalation of the war, the Houthis have claimed to close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait to American and Israeli vessels. Analyst Comment: Now, a second major maritime choke point is threatened. During this war so far, the Houthis have largely been sitting this one out, after their victory in holding out against the US bombing campaign last year. Now, the Houthis appear to be getting in the game, at least to some degree. They don't have nearly as much firepower as the Iranians do, however they can still make enough trouble to threaten the Red Sea. Europe: This morning NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept a drone, which breached Latvia's airspace. One drone was shot down by a French Rafale fighter aircraft, and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Analyst Comment: The point of origin for the drone has not been provided, however based on geography alone, it would make sense for the drone to be Russian. Nevertheless, this shootdown comes at a time when the collateral damage concerns of the war spilling outside Ukraine's borders are beginning to be more serious. A stray drone or two is not out of the ordinary, but multiple explosive boats being found inside a Romanian port, similar drones hitting an apartment building also in Romania, and now a drone breaching Latvia's airspace...all within a few days...has caused increased concern regarding this year's fighting season in Europe. -HomeFront- Georgia: This afternoon an active shooter situation was reported on base at Fort Stewart. One suspect was apprehended after firing several rounds on Engineer Road on post. No further information has been provided regarding this incident, however the lockdown has been lifted and no casualties were reported. More information is expected as the investigation continues. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Over the weekend, several more confirmed cases of New World Screwworm (NWS) have been disclosed. One dog was discovered with the parasite in Lea County, New Mexico, and another case was discovered in a calf in Gillespie County, Texas, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to four nationwide. Aerial dispersal of sterile NWS flies have taken place over the weekend near the affected areas, with several flights being undertaken since June 4th. 24x ground release arrays are already deployed throughout the area along the border, and the recent emergency declarations by Texas have increased efforts to combat the spread of the parasite. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 3 months ago
This week's intel update is out! From a slow resumption of the war in the Middle East creeping in, to the unrest potential here at home, this busy week has flown by as we accelerate into the summertime fighting season on multiple fronts. Link:
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S2Underground 3 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z June 5, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: UKRAINIAN DRONE BOATS FOUND IN ROMANIAN PORT NEAR OIL TERMINAL, ONE DETONATION REPORTED. KARMELO ANTHONY TRIAL BEGINS IN TEXAS. SOCIAL TENSIONS CONTINUE IN UNITED KINGDOM.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: The conflict has continued to expand, with Iranian drone attacks taking place at Oman's oil terminals in Mina Al Fahal. Omani authorities suspended oil export operations this morning, before claiming that operations had returned to normal a few hours later. United Kingdom: Societal tensions continue as old criminal cases reach a conclusion this week. Yesterday, a group of migrants were sentenced for crimes committed during an attempted revenge killing that took place in Stoke-on-Trent back in 2021. Five years ago, this mob of migrants broke into a home and set a woman on fire in front of her child, during a cultural murder attempt that stemmed from one of them stabbing the other, triggering an honor-killing retaliation attempt. Several people were also stabbed during this attack, as a fight between rival migrant factions broke out in the street during the incident. Five of these men were recently found guilty of this attack, and earlier this week two of the attackers, Naveed Hussain and Bilal Ahmed, were sentenced to what ended up being time-served, a small fine, and community service. In Southampton, significant law enforcement operations are underway to identify rioters which pushed garbage cans toward police during the recent Southampton unrest resulting from the Nowak murder trial. So far three demonstrators have been arrested and charged, and continuing the recent trend, one individual who was arrested on Thursday has already been tried, convicted, and sentenced. This individual was sentenced to 3-5 years prison time for throwing a traffic cone in the general direction of the police, which never made contact with them. Analyst Comment: These contrasting incidents are just two of a dozen that have stoked tensions throughout the British Isles this week. As a result, these events have been piling on after the Nowak murder trial elevated public anger to new heights, and last week a different case involved a pair of migrants being acquitted, even though they broke a policewoman's nose during a street fight with officers at Manchester airport two years ago. Romania: This morning at least one (possibly up to four) Ukrainian naval drones were discovered floating in the port of Constanța. One Sea-Baby Mark II (Avdiivka) type Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) was discovered floating inside the port by workers at one of the oil terminals. Before Romanian EOD teams could respond to the scene and tow the boat to a safer location, the explosive boat self-detonated, catching locals off guard who were inside the blast zone. After this explosion, a search was conducted for other drone boats in the general area, and some reports claim that three more Ukrainian USVs were found, though the exact geolocation of these vessels has not been disclosed. -HomeFront- Texas: The Karmelo Anthony murder trial has begun in Collin County, with demonstrations and protests already set up outside the courthouse. The jury in this case has not been sequestered, and they are being sent to their own homes every night without any security or protection measures despite the activists threatening to kill people outside the courthouse. Analyst Comment: This is going to be a hot trial, with a high potential for riots no matter the outcome. Like it or not, this is already a racial thing, and the situation at the courthouse has been rather spicy even though the trial has just begun. So far, the numbers of activists and militant groups on site at the courthouse remains comparatively low; only a maximum of few dozen people have been observed, with most of the persistent protests being hosted by a handful of people who can afford to attend a protest during a workday. Nevertheless, the more hostile crowds are already on site, and the potential for riots and violence is already high, with larger crowds expected to gather over the weekend. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Based on the geolocation alone, there is nearly zero chance that the drones found in Romania were merely off-course munitions, which washed ashore after losing contact or becoming damaged. The main explosive boat that was discovered, was found deep inside the port (past multiple breakwaters) nestled directly adjacent to a major oil terminal where oil tankers normally are berthed to onload petroleum. More broadly, drone boats washing ashore (either from some kind of mechanical failure, or due to combat damage) is not exactly a rare sight along the Black Sea coast as these things happen sometimes in war. However in this case, it would be extraordinarily unlikely for this vessel to end up where it did, just based on the drifting of the tides. The addition of three other drones, all with independent guidance systems and control measures, also being found in the same area decreases the chance that this was an accident. The drones found outside the port can be explained away easily, but the one found deep inside the port right next to a highly flammable oil terminal of all things, is harder to justify. As a result, this was almost certainly a deliberate action, though the motive for such is questionable. Romania and Ukraine are on the same side during this conflict, and it would make no sense to target Romanian oil, because Ukraine itself is one of Romania's biggest clients. It's possible that this attack is a false-flag incident conducted by Russia, but that's unlikely at the moment because Russia has not had much success in mimicking Ukraine's drone boats, and if this was the Russians it would be an uncharacteristically well-detailed deception operation. On the other hand, it's also possible that this was a false-flag attack conducted by Ukraine, using their own drones (which were planned to detonate before being discovered), but due to either jamming or some other mistake, did not explode before the sun rose this morning and the drones were discovered. Regardless of what the investigation eventually discovers, it is almost certain that these drone boats were genuinely Ukrainian, and did not end up inside the harbor by accident. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
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//The Wire//1800Z June 3, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TARGETING EFFORTS INCREASE THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST AS U.S. TARGETS QESHM ISLAND, AND IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES STRIKE BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT. HOSTAGE SITUATION CONCLUDES AT BANK IN CALIFORNIA. TWO NIH EMPLOYEES ARRESTED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE MONKEYPOX INTO THE USA.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Overnight the war continued to expand with multiple strikes reported throughout the region. Following the now-daily American airstrikes on Qeshm Island, the Iranians retaliated by launching multiple ballistic missiles targeting locations in Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM claimed that none of the missiles impacted their targets, however Kuwait International Airport was directly hit by at least one large munition (possibly a Shahed-type drone). The main terminal was heavily damaged, and a total of 63x individuals were wounded during this attack. Additionally, locals in residential areas to the north claim that Camp Buehring was also hit by a ballistic missile, though satellite imagery is still pending to confirm this. Separately, multiple munition impacts were reported in Bahrain though the details of these strikes remain less certain than in Kuwait. Some reports claim that Sakhir Air Base was hit, however this is not confirmed at this time. -HomeFront- California: Yesterday a hostage situation was reported in Bakersfield after a man entered Chase Bank on 17th Street with what he claimed was an explosive device. The man claimed to have wired an explosive vest with a deadman switch, and took a total of 5x hostages inside the bank. The individual has been identified as Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris, who conducted this incident for personal reasons, claiming that he was wrongfully convicted of previous crimes (crimes against children). The hostage situation continued throughout the night, before the suspect was neutralized this morning by an FBI sniper team. All hostages have been recovered in good health. Michigan: Two researchers for the National Institute of Health (NIH) were arrested in Detroit, after attempting to smuggle monkeypox into the United States. Vincent Munster (from the Netherlands) and Claude Kwe (from Cameroon) were arrested after a search of their belongings at customs revealed chilled storage for 113 vials which contained Monkeypox along with other pathogens. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As a reminder, the information lockdown is palpable throughout the Middle East, so details are hard to verify. What is absolutely undeniable at this point, is that authorities throughout the region, to include CENTCOM, are posting very misleading "fact checks" which are carefully worded by attorneys to leave out critical details. In some cases, outright lies are being told to conceal the success of Iranian strikes. This has been the case since the start of the war, and it's extremely common for various entities to lie during a time of war, which is sometimes necessary to ensure mission success. If CENTCOM wants to conceal the success of strikes for operational security purposes that's their business, but we can't pretend that this is not happening. As luck would have it, the Sentinel 2 open-source imagery satellite passed over Camp Ali Al Salem a few hours after the missile attacks. Comparing the imagery taken today, with yesterday's pass, a discernable impact can be noted at one of the aircraft hangers on the airfield. As always, the Iranians already know about the success of their own strikes as the Iranians secretly purchased the Chinese TEE-01B satellite, which grants them their own imagery for Battle Damage Assessments (in addition to the wealth of intelligence support being provided by Russia and China). As a result, concealing the details of American bases getting hit is hiding the truth from exactly one audience...the American taxpayer. Around the region, the locals within GCC states are first hand observers to the strikes, even though most Arab nations are arresting their own citizens for posting videos of failed interceptions in order to keep the illusion going that air defenses are working. One such individual was arrested last night in Kuwait after posting a viral video while driving on the highway. While it is speculative, it's possible that the reason this individual was arrested is because it was easy to identify him due to the motor vehicle accident that also occurred at the same time and thus made the video go viral, but also because his video appears to show failed interceptions...several of the Patriot missiles fired at the incoming Iranian missiles appear to have missed and exhibited the telltale self-destruct phase of their flight path. It's a classic Middle Eastern shakey-cam situation, but the Kuwaitis are very motivated to conceal the true effects of Iranian targeting efforts and the impact craters observed throughout the country this morning add credence to the failed interceptions. This challenging information environment would be very wise to remember as the "good news" posts of impending peace saturate social media and mainstream media constantly at this point. The truth of the situation on the ground indicates that strikes on Iranian targets (specifically at Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island) are now daily occurrences, and the slow ramp-up to the collapse of the ceasefire has already been underway for several days. Analyst: S2A1 Research: Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//