Damus

Recent Notes

S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//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: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
1
paxconsulting · 1w
The escalation of missile and drone strikes in the Middle East highlights the complexity of verifying conflict reports amid widespread information control and disinformation. Such dynamics complicate strategic assessments and call for cautious analysis of official statements. For a deeper dive into ...
S2Underground profile picture
//The Wire//2300Z June 2, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: WAR IN LEBANON CONTINUES. NEW DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE APPOINTED. RIOTS BREAK OUT IN U.K. DUE TO NOWAK MURDER UNREST.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: This evening Kuwaiti forces reported another wave of missile and drone attacks. So far no indication of the success of these targeting efforts has been disclosed, however the situation is still developing at the time of this report.

Persian Gulf: This afternoon CENTCOM targeted another merchant vessel for attempting to violate the American blockade of Iranian ports. The M/T *LEXIE* was struck with a missile, marking the sixth such vessel targeted by the United States so far during this war.

Lebanon: Yesterday Prime Minister Netanyahu directly rejected President Trump's request to halt their invasion of Lebanon, with Netanyahu stating on his Hebrew-language account that "the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon". As a result, fighting continued throughout the night with the IDF and Hezbollah trading missile strikes as of early this morning.

-HomeFront-

Washington D.C. - This morning Tulsi Gabbard's replacement for Director of National Intelligence has been named as Bill Pulte, the current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the agency responsible for managing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Pulte will not be stepping aside from his current role to serve as DNI, President Trump stated that he will continue to do both jobs. Pulte does not have any history of intelligence work, with his career purely being focused in the world of finance.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: In the United Kingdom, local tensions remain at a boiling point following the murder of Henry Nowak. After the trial, the events in the courtroom during the sentencing have been leaked, which included the Digwa family becoming unruly after the verdict was read. At least one Digwa family member shouted claims of racism at the judge, and had to be restrained by police. After this incident, the Digwa family released a statement apologizing to the Sikh community for this murder. Similarly, the Sikh Community issued a statement reminding everyone of the impact that racism has had on them, and a few Members of Parliament have also taken a position on the attack which has inflamed tensions even more.

As one might expect, this has doused gasoline on the fire, and this afternoon several snap protests have broken out with two demonstrations being reported at the Southampton Police Station, and also at Belmont Road where Nowak was murdered. So far, these protests have transitioned into fairly low intensity riots, however there are thousands of people in the street. The Nowak murder site is also a short distance from a heavily-populated Sikh enclave, where at least four Sikh temples are emplaced throughout residential areas. Protesters who are walking on foot between the two protest sites will have to transit through Sikh-held terrain, and since a sizable portion of the Sikh community has decided to rally around their guy (and their use of the Kirpan), the potential for armed clashes remains quite likely. The situation is developing by the minute and more updates are expected overnight as societal tensions come to a head once again.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//The Wire//2300Z June 1, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MASS WAVES OF MIGRANT CRIME REPORTED THROUGHOUT EUROPE. UNITED STATES CONDUCTS ADDITIONAL TARGETING OF IRAN, IRANIANS RESPOND BY TARGETING KUWAIT AGAIN. STABBING ATTACK REPORTED ON TRAIN IN ATLANTA. HENRY NOWAK MURDER BODY CAM FOOTAGE RELEASED.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Persian Gulf: Over the weekend, more mutual targeting efforts continued throughout the region. The targeting efforts began after an unidentified drone entered Iranian airspace, which was downed by the Iranians. Around the same time, the United States conducted an airstrike on the radio tower at the Iranian base on Sirik Island in the eastern Persian Gulf. An unidentified location in Gerak was also struck as well, which CENTCOM claims was serving as a drone launch site. After this wave of attacks, the Iranians launched two ballistics missiles toward the airbase that the attack was launched from, which they claim was Ali Al Salem Airbase in Kuwait. CENTCOM claimed that both missiles were intercepted. After the tit-for-tat targeting efforts were conducted on Saturday and Sunday, the United States and Iran continued their targeting efforts this morning. One merchant vessel (the MSC SARISKA V) was struck by an Iranian munition in the northern Persian Gulf, off the coast of Kuwait. Several hours after this first strike, the *SARISKA* reported being hit by a second munition, which caused a fire.

Strait of Hormuz: Following the suspected mine detection off the coast of Oman that was reported on Friday, Omani Naval forces made visual contact with the mine, confirming it's coordinates at grid: 40RDQ3450820703. The mine appears to be a Maham-1 type device, a moored contact mine domestically produced within Iran.

Lebanon: This afternoon President Trump stated on his social media accounts that he conducted a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, which resulted in Israeli forces halting their advance to Beirut.

Analyst Comment: It is extraordinarily unlikely that the advance has actually stopped, however the reference to Beirut itself is odd because the IDF is currently nowhere near the city and there was no indication that they were headed there anyway (the invasion has so far been confined to mostly the areas near the Israeli border, with the main line of advance crossing the Litani a few days ago). It would be no surprise whatsoever if the Israelis actually did want to occupy the entirety of Lebanon (as this has been stated by politicians many times). However, aspirations are harder to achieve on the battlefield and the IDF has been getting hit hard by FPV drones for weeks. Likewise, the large-scale bombing of Beirut has been the main retaliatory measure for these FPV drone attacks, and regardless of President Trump's phone call, the war continues as before. About 20 minutes after President Trump's post, Hezbollah launched rockets and Israeli forces bombed targets in Lebanon again, with neither side expressing interest in halting the fighting.

France: Mass civil unrest broke out over the weekend, following the UEFA Champions League soccer match resulting in a win for France. Large scale riots were reported throughout Paris, which carried on into Sunday evening. Dozens of assaults were reported, including some reports of individuals being dragged from their vehicles by mobs of migrants and assaulted.

Austria: Yesterday a woman was attacked by an unidentified assailant on a train in Vienna. Local witnesses state that a woman of foreign origin attacked a local Austrian woman in an unprovoked attack while on the subway. No arrests have been made so far regarding this attack.

Germany: This morning a migrant mob attack was reported in the small town of Tuttlingen. The mob attack was reported in the vicinity of a bus stop in the town, and resulted in a mob attempting to beat a man to death in the street. The status of the victim remains unclear.

Analyst Comment: Extreme levels of violence have become very common in small European towns, even quaint villages tucked away in the foothills of the Alps. Many of these towns are now serving as an above-ground railroad of sorts, funneling migrants en masse northward into Germany. Tuttlingen has become one of these such towns. The bus stations at many of these villages are now effectively no-go areas for many locals, as large volumes of migrants tend to congregate at the facilities as they are transported by NGOs throughout the continent.

United Kingdom: This afternoon the bodycam footage of the murder of Henry Nowak was leaked. The footage is worse than what was described in court, and has already resulted in increased calls for police accountability regarding this case.

Analyst Comment: While everyone is rightfully calling for police accountability in this case, it is important to remember that people who directly caused the murder are still free. Only the murderer and the chief accomplice (Digwa's mother) were convicted. Per the official press release from the Southampton Constabulary, two other people were arrested that night; Digwa's family members that even the police have admitted lied on the night of the attack, causing the delay that contributed to Nowak's murder. These two other family members have not been charged with any crime.

-HomeFront-

Georgia: Over the weekend another subway murder was reported in Atlanta. Local authorities state that one assailant stabbed a woman to death on a MARTA train in the vicinity of Oakland City station. The victim died at the scene, and locals claim it was an unprovoked random stabbing attack. The suspect has been identified as John Elijah Matthews, who was arrested at the scene shortly after the murder.

Florida: A street takeover mob attack was reported in Clearwater Beach over the weekend. One individual shot another individual during a street confrontation on Coronado Drive, wounding one person.

Analyst Comment: Other than the shooting, roving bands and mobs swarmed through Clearwater over the weekend, which is likely to get the attention of much more substantial crowd-control efforts due to this area being a very big vacation area at the height of tourism season.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: In the Middle East, a pattern is beginning to emerge with regard to American targeting efforts in the region. CENTCOM is now conducting "self-defense" strikes on targets that are really stretching the definition of "self-defense", as per all prior CENTCOM targeting guidance. CENTCOM is claiming that since a radio tower was used at some point to support a drone strike, they can strike it in self-defense. The drones that are being launched by the Iranians throughout the region are very likely not being controlled from Sirik Island, but this outpost is probably being used by forward observers. This site was also probably used as a radio base to communicate with merchant shipping, and issue notices from the Iranians via radio.

More broadly, these more recent targeting efforts also serve as an indicator for what the United States might be trying to do at a more strategic level. Within the past few days, the United States has twice launched offensive targeting efforts, while claiming to conduct a strike under "self-defense" criteria. This has now slipped into more of a "mowing the lawn" approach to targeting Iranian infrastructure, whereby every couple of days the US bombs something, then the Iranians counterattack, and the US clutches pearls and pretends like CENTCOM didn't start it in the first place. How long the Iranians will put up with this is purely up to them, but they also know that these smaller targeting efforts by the United States are probably intended to provoke a knee-jerk reaction and re-ignite the large-scale bombings of the war. Right now, the Iranians have a very powerful position, so they might not want to jeopardize kicking things off again based on a handful of strikes, but that option is always on the table. How things progress from here is anyone's guess, but every bomb that lands in Iran, and every missile that lands at an American base, is another step farther from the negotiating table.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
This week's intel update is out! This week, the stagnation in the Middle East has given way at times to renewed targeting efforts, while a potential expansion of the Gulf War looms. Here at home, riot season is well underway, with the situation in Newark being a good barometer for how unrest might pop up in other areas if so desired. Link: https://youtu.be/or8riChFbGQ
S2Underground profile picture
//The Wire//2300Z May 29, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: PROBABLE RUSSIAN DRONE IMPACTS APARTMENT BUILDING IN ROMANIA. HOUTHIS SHOOT DOWN AMERICAN DRONE OVER YEMEN. WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES ALLEGED LIFTING OF THE AMERICAN BLOCKADE IN MIDDLE EAST.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: This morning, President Trump made several statements in a post on his Truth Social account. Most importantly, he stated that the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will be lifted. Secondly, the chief American bargaining demands regarding a settlement to the Iran war are now the re-opening of the Strait by the Iranians, the removal of the mines, and also the promise that they won't develop nuclear weapons, among other details.

Analyst Comment: Much like previous statements, a short post on social media is not exactly the most clear format to convey all of the nuts and bolts of a potential peace deal, and it is precisely these smaller details which have derailed any agreement thus far. Time will tell how the Iranians react to this news, but if the lifting of the American blockade is indeed true (and immediate, without being contingent on some other unspoken detail), this could be the early indications of the U.S. attempting to walk away from this conflict. As always, it takes two to tango, and the Iranians are unlikely to immediately react to these claims, after being burned on the diplomatic front so many times.

Yemen: This morning Houthi forces shot down another American MQ-9 drone in the vicinity of Marib. This is the second such drone platform shot down in Yemen this month.

Romania: Last night, an apartment building in Galați was struck by an unidentified munition, resulting in a fire breaking out on the upper stories of the building. The strike resulted in two residents of the building being wounded, and the Romanian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the munition was a drone of Russian origin.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: The summer fighting season in Ukraine is clearly starting to cause more problems and instability for the European continent, as demonstrated by last night's drone incident in Romania. Right now, a major Russian offensive is underway in Odessa, and fighting along most of the fronts has picked up over the past few weeks. As such, it's not a stretch to surmise that this was a drone-off-course situation as hundreds of drones were used by Russia to attack targets along the southwestern front of the war. However, this is not the first time that Romania has dealt with supposedly "off-course" drones from the war. Drone incursions in Romania have been reported several times before, with the Russian ambassador even being summoned to explain this behavior in September of last year. Additionally, Ukraine has made good use of long-range drones as well, with a total of three tanker vessels reportedly being targeted in the Black Sea just off the coast of Turkey on the same night. As these vessels are a part of Russia's shadow-fleet of sanctioned vessels, these drones were almost certainly Ukrainian, as Ukraine seeks to prevent Russia from capitalizing on the oil shock crisis currently inflating global oil prices. Bottom line, drones are filling the skies by all sides, and as technology improves collateral damage in warfare becomes much more costly, all the while the stakes increase around the world.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
S2Underground profile picture
//The Wire//2300Z May 28, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: RIOTS CONTINUE IN NEW JERSEY. UNITED STATES AND IRAN CONTINUE MUTUAL TARGETING EFFORTS IN MIDDLE EAST. MASS STABBING REPORTED IN SWITZERLAND.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

United Kingdom: This morning Vickrum Digwa was convicted of the murder of Henry Nowak. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was also convicted for her role in concealing the murder weapon used to kill Nowak. Digwa is scheduled to be sentenced for the crime on June 1st.

Switzerland: This morning a mass stabbing was reported at the train station in Winterthur. One assailant was observed shouting Islamic phrases while conducting the stabbing, which wounded a total of 4x individuals at the train station. The suspect attempted to flee the scene, but was apprehended shortly after the attack.

-HomeFront-

Washington: The investigation continues regarding the chemical explosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview. As of this morning, a total of 2x confirmed fatalities have been reported, but 9x workers remain missing and are assessed to be deceased. Recovery efforts continue amid complications caused by unstable debris resulting in safety concerns for rescue teams.

New Jersey: Riots continued at the Delaney Hall detention facility, with another flare-up being reported overnight. Clashes between ICE and rioters has been steadily building over the past few days, as a Minneapolis-style unrest model has been applied to the facility. During the day, a mostly-elderly crowd maintains a presence at the site, but when night falls the younger agitators show up to cause chaos. Early this morning, regular citizens began getting involved in the riots, with one sanitation worker confronting the rioters for blocking the road. Separately, another rioter had their foot crushed by a semi truck, due to their preoccupation with attacking an officer resulting in a lack of situational awareness.

Analyst Comment: This situation is getting out of hand, and will probably be a good barometer for other unrest efforts if anti-ICE riots escalate once again this summer. The federal administration being extremely risk averse to highly-kinetic ICE operations has undeniably emboldened rioters and as a result this unrest is likely to remain with very few barriers existing to prevent escalations on the part of the agitators.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: In the Middle East, the ceasefire remains in name only, as multiple engagements have been reported over the past few days. In addition to the United States striking targets within Iran two days ago, last night CENTCOM conducted more strikes within Iran. These strikes have been confirmed verbally by CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins, however CENTCOM is not posting these kinetic targeting efforts on their social media pages. CENTCOM is, however, admonishing the Iranians for committing an "egregious ceasefire violation".

After the American strikes in Bandar Abbas, last night Iran launched several drones and at least one ballistic missile toward Kuwait. The status of this targeting effort is not known, however CENTCOM claims to have conducted another series of strikes in Iran which allegedly took out one of the drone launchers used for this attack.

In the Strait of Hormuz, another series of engagements was reported this afternoon. A total of 4x merchant vessels were reportedly targeted by Iranian munitions as they attempted to cross the Strait. Information on these targeting efforts is sketchy at best; the UKMTO has not commented on these targeting efforts, and what little details have emerged imply that these were "warning shots" with either drones or missiles as no vessel was successfully hit. At this point it could just as easily have been four "misses" but the end result is that no commercial traffic has transited the Strait today, as the world watches and waits to see if the kinetic phase of the war will resume.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
1🚀1