S2 Underground

//The Wire//2300Z January 12, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: IRANIAN PROTESTS CONTINUE AS PRESIDENT TRUMP REAFFIRMS AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT. VEHICLE RAMMING ATTACK REPORTED AT PROTEST IN LOS ANGELES. PROTESTS CONTINUE IN MINNEAPOLIS.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: The situation in Tehran remains tense as demonstrations continue. Over the weekend, pro-regime, pro-Ayatollah demonstrations were carried out, in opposition to the anti-regime protests which have been regular over the past two weeks.

Analyst Comment: As one might expect, the pro-regime demonstrations have been covered extensively by Iranian state TV, so the true scale of these demonstrations is not known. The internet outage continues nationwide, so the wider context of how serious the overall situation is developing is hard to discern. In Washington, President Trump has made increasingly more substantial statements regarding American involvement, indicating that the United States may become more actively involved in overthrowing the government of Iran in the very near future. These statements have been understandably vague, however in the context of the current demonstrations this is probably the early indication and warning of another round of American strikes (or more direct involvement) at some point.

-HomeFront-

USA: Around the nation, various protests and states of civil unrest continued over the weekend, with some being more kinetic than others. Protests remained constant in the usual cities; Portland, Minneapolis, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington D.C. all were host to anti-ICE demonstrations.

California: Anti-ICE protests continue state-wide, however other types of protests and demonstrations are underway, which have increased in severity over the past few days. In Los Angeles, a vehicle ramming attack was reported at an Iranian protest Sunday afternoon, which resulted in the wounding of several demonstrators. The demonstration itself was an anti-regime/pro-Shah protest, in support of overthrowing the Ayatollah. As demonstrators were marching up Veteran Avenue to the east of the Federal Building, one assailant drove a Uhaul truck north up Veteran Avenue, conducting a slow-speed ramming into the crowd, before coming to a halt at the corner of Rochester and Veteran Ave. After the vehicle came to a halt, the driver was detained by police, and has not yet been identified.

Analyst Comment: This incident was a deliberate attack, as evidenced by the signage that had been affixed to the Uhaul truck by the attacker. Despite these signs, however, the motive remains unclear as the messages are contradictory. The attacker's signs referenced, anti-Shah, anti-regime, and anti-Ayatollah sentiments, so it's not really clear what ideology the attacker was trying to support. Nevertheless, the attack was conducted for ideological reasons, even if they aren't immediately clear at the moment.

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

Analyst Comments: In Minneapolis, a general state of unrest continued over the weekend, with various insurgent groups increasing the intensity of their efforts. Several independent journalists have been assaulted by the mobs at varying locations, as parts of the city descend into a state of lawlessness.

Most of the violence has been contained to a few hotspots around the city. In the downtown area, the Renaissance and Hilton Hotels have remained under a state of unrest following the destruction caused by rioters over the weekend. Smaller, but more long-term protest sites have been established at these locations, in addition to the persistent protest that is ongoing at the Whipple Federal Building to the south of the city.

This afternoon a riot broke out to the east of the Renee Good shooting site, at the corner of E 34th Street and Park Avenue. Rioters attacked ICE agents, which resulted in the deployment of tear gas to disperse th

//The Wire//2300Z January 9, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: PROTESTS CONTINUE AS ANOTHER VEHICLE RAMMING AND SHOOTING INCIDENT INVOLVING FEDERAL AGENTS OCCURS OVERNIGHT. EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY IN KIEV AS RUSSIA STRIKES CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SERVING THE CITY.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Ukraine: Overnight, major strikes were reported throughout the country, as Russian forces conduct large-scale missile strikes on multiple fronts. Russia conducted an Oreshnik IRBM strike on the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske Natural Gas storage facility in western Ukraine. Large-scale drone strikes were also reported throughout Kiev, which damaged infrastructure including the city's water supply.

Analyst Comment: These strikes were the largest to hit Ukraine during the war so far. At the moment, battle damage reports have not been made public, however the use of an Oreshnik (which has only been used once so far during this war) would have undoubtedly crippled the gas storage facility, which serves most of Ukraine, including Kiev. The mayor of Kiev has urged citizens to evacuate, due to the inability for utility services to provide heating for most of the city.

Caribbean: This morning the United States seized another oil tanker attempting to flee Venezuela. The M/T *OLINA* was seized off the coast of Trinidad, as part of the widening operation to target Ghost Fleet vessels smuggling oil out of Venezuela. This brings the total number to 5x tankers seized so far.

-HomeFront-

Oregon: Yesterday evening, a state of civil unrest broke out after a shooting was reported involving Customs and Border Patrol. CBP agents conducted a traffic stop of a known TdA member and his wife on Southeast Main Street, in the vicinity of the Adventist Health campus. During the traffic stop, the TdA member attempted to ram officers with his vehicle, prompting the shooting. From there, the suspects egressed from the area to the east, where they were found by Portland PD officers on East Burnside St. with gunshot wounds. In the hours after the shooting, riots broke out throughout the city, and carried on throughout the night.

Utah: Yesterday evening an ambush was reported in Ogden, which originated from a domestic dispute. Local authorities initially responded to reports of shots fired at a single-family residential home on E 5800 South, in a subdivision south of the intersection of Hwy 89 and Crestwood Dr. When authorities arrived, the suspect began firing at police by engaging them from within the home with small arms. A barricaded-shooter situation developed, and after a few hours the suspect was detained by SWAT and identified as James Joseph Rios.

Concerning casualties, 2x neighbors were wounded by the shooter, during the initial engagement that prompted the police response.

Analyst Comment: What initially prompted this incident is unclear; at the moment it looks like Rios simply decided to start shooting at his neighbors either randomly, or due to a mental health incident. However, the investigation is still underway, so more details may come to light over the next few days.

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

Analyst Comments: In Minneapolis, the situation is deteriorating on multiple fronts. Following the ICE-involved shooting a few days ago, ANTIFA forces have moved into the area to establish an "Autonomous Grieving Zone" at the site of the shooting involving Renee Good. Portland Avenue from E 34th Street to 33rd Street was blocked, with barricade obstacles preventing people from freely migrating through the area. Early this morning, locals reported that police moved in to clear the obstructions from the street, however a significant agitator presence remains throughout the area.

Around the city, atmospherics aren't great: rioters continue to cause civil unrest, and open and clear threats to federal agents have become routine. These threats aren't just screaming o

//The Wire//2300Z January 8, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: PROTESTS CONTINUE IN MINNEAPOLIS AS GOV. WALZ ISSUES WARNING ORDER TO NATIONAL GUARD TO PREPARE FOR DEPLOYMENT AGAINST FEDERAL FORCES. CIVIL UNREST INTENSIFIES IN TEHRAN. SHOOTING AT LDS CHURCH IN UTAH REVEALS TRANSNATIONAL CRIME SYNDICATE.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: The situation in Iran is heating up as demonstrations have shifted to riots and a general state of uprising in many cities around the country. This morning internet access to the outside world was cut for most of the country, and flights have allegedly been halted at Tabriz International Airport.

Analyst Comment: Right now it's too soon to tell if this is the real-deal, simply due to the extremely significant amount of deception surrounding events in Tehran. A lot of older or misleading footage has circulated, so it's hard to determine what's real and what isn't. The Iranian government shutting off the internet in an attempt to halt communications out of the country is a common tactic, but also strongly indicates that government forces are concerned with the growing level of uprising. How far this will go is anyone's guess, but this will be something to monitor for the next few days.

-HomeFront-

Minnesota: Overnight various protest events continued in Minneapolis, along with serious developments on the political front. In a press statement yesterday Gov. Tim Walz stated that he has given the WARNO (warning order) for Minnesota National Guard troops to deploy in a policing role, against federal agents. During this press conference, a reporter directly asked Walz if these troops would be used to defend the state from federal forces. In response, Walz stated that Minnesota has "never been at war with the Federal government", before directly stating that these troops will be used to "protect the people of Minnesota" from a "rogue federal agent".

Utah: Yesterday evening a mass shooting was reported at an LDS church in Salt Lake City. Local authorities state that a shooting broke out in the parking lot of the LDS church on Redwood Road. At the time of the shooting, a crowd was gathered in the parking lot for a funeral/memorial service being held inside the church. The shooting reportedly took place as a result of mutual combat between two suspects, both of which are currently at large. Concerning casualties, 2x were killed and 6x others wounded during the engagement.

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

Analyst Comments: Shootings involving churches or other places of worship are worth dedicating more attention to, as these are more vulnerable sites that are easy targets for malign actors and terrorists. However, a brief investigation into this shooting indicates that this incident is not what many may think at first.

The church itself is a front...this facility is really a safehouse/community center for the Tongan Crip Gang (TCG). The facility is indeed a real LDS church, however this particular ward has been taken over by the gang, which have declared this church (and the surrounding terrain) to be their turf.

Photo and video evidence from inside the Church on the night of the shooting confirm a heavy TCG presence, with various Lieutenants and their footsoldiers manning security by all of the doors.

Videos of the memorial service confirm nearly everyone was wearing the "colors" of the TCG (which are blue bandanas), with some people even showing up to the service wearing ski masks, drinking alcohol, and flashing gang signs to the police officers in the church after the shooting.

Additional investigation indicates that this was not a one-off event. Per the website of this church, services at this facility are only held in the Tongan language. No English services are held at this location, which indicates both the demographic of the alleged congregation and also provides additional context.

//The Wire//2300Z January 7, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: CIVIL UNREST DEVELOPING IN MINNEAPOLIS FOLLOWING ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING. TANKER WAR CONTINUES AS UNITED STATES CAPTURES TWO TANKERS IN ATLANTIC.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Atlantic Ocean: This morning the United States seized two oil tankers at the center of the efforts to disrupt the Venezuelan oil trade and halt the flow of crude out of the country. The M/T *SOPHIA* and the M/T *BELLA 1* were boarded and seized this morning, and the US Coast Guard is currently escorting both vessels back to American ports.

Analyst Comment: As a reminder the *BELLA 1* is the same tanker that tried to run the blockade to seek safety in Venezuela two weeks ago. The *SOFIA* is also known as the "*M SOPHIA*" with International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9289477. There is another supertanker with the same name flagged out of Greece, but the vessel that was seized this morning is the ghost-fleet tanker that has been riding dirty with no registration for several years.

-HomeFront-

Minnesota: A general state of unrest has been building throughout Minneapolis on several fronts. As independent journalists and content streamers alike have descended on the city to expose the Somali fraud, various assaults have been reported.

Analyst Comment: It's only a matter of time before an independent journalist gets killed or seriously wounded. Somali communities are rallying together, and they are more than willing to use violence to protect the billions of dollars that have been stolen.

This morning a small riot was also reported in Minneapolis following an ICE-involved shooting at the corner of Portland Avenue and E 34th Street. The shooting took place after a woman attempted to use her vehicle to ram an ICE agent, who shot and killed her, ending the incident.

Analyst Comment: This shooting was highly documented by the ANTIFA activists that were already at the shooting location before it took place. One video wasn't really clear due to the angle it was taken from, however another video taken by a homeowner confirms that the woman rammed the agent with her car before the first shot was fired. But right now the truth is a moot point as demonstrators have already gathered at City Hall to protest the incident. Mayor Frey has already ordered ICE to leave the city, which they are not going to do, but this statement sets conditions for amplifying tensions even further on the political front.

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

Analyst Comments: Regarding the capture of the tankers in the North Atlantic, more context might help understand how this saga has developed.

Two weeks ago, the *BELLA 1* was bound for Venezuela, to take on a cargo of crude oil eventually destined from Iran. Due to American operations in the Caribbean Sea, many illicit oil tankers were caught in limbo, weighing the decision of what to do. The *BELLA 1* was originally inbound to Venezuela when the American blockade formed, and her crew originally decided to run the blockade, before the US Coast Guard began shadowing her and initially tried to board her. This initial boarding operation was called off due to safety reasons as her crew was conducting erratic movements to attempt to prevent a boarding. At this point, the Coast Guard backed off and continued to shadow her, waiting for more substantial military resources to arrive on scene. From there, the *BELLA 1* abandoned her goal of running the blockade, and attempted to make a run for it, generally sailing away from Venezuela and changing her name mid-cruise to *MARINERA*. After a few days, the crew onboard came up with the plan to appeal to the other superpower in the region...Russia. The crew started painting Russian flags on the hull, and began flying the flag of Russia in an attempt to bring Russia into the mix, and hopefully deter an American boarding. This effort did not w

//The Wire//2300Z January 6, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN VENEZUELA, FALSE-ALARM RESULTED IN MASS GUNFIRE LAST NIGHT IN CARACAS. POWER OUTAGE IN BERLIN CONTINUES.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Venezuela: Overnight significant gunfire was reported throughout Caracas as Venezuelan forces reacted to the detection of a drone near the Presidential Palace compound. After some time, the gunfire died down as it became clear that anti-aircraft units were spooked by one of their own drones.

Analyst Comment: Clearly the AAA gun batteries the Venezuelans have set up are a bit touchy at the moment, which is most clearly illustrated by them shooting enough rounds into the night sky to equal the GDP of Burundi. Nevertheless, now is a suboptimal time for both migratory birds and absconding Generals, as anything with wings is liable to be shot at over Caracas.

Germany: The power outages continue for roughly 45,000 customers throughout Berlin, following the terrorist attack conducted by the Vulkangruppe insurgent group on Saturday. Most customers are coming back online as repairs are being made, however it's been slow going due to the single-point-of-failure attack site causing issues further down the line.

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

Analyst Comments: Due to the length of the power outage, combined with the extremely cold temperatures, many complications have come about. Sewage pumping stations being offline for this many days has resulted in waste backflowing downhill into many people's homes. Retirement centers and senior care facilities, both holding the elderly, have been trying to do their best to manage with the scale of the attack. Hospitals and other public services have been running on generator power for some time, however this has been challenging to maintain over such a long period of time. Attacks like this becoming more common (or at least continuing as they have in the past) is crucial to remember; insurgent groups will strike when maximum effectiveness can be achieved, which often times coincides with bad weather or other incidents.

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

//The Wire//2300Z January 5, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: USA TAKES CONTROL OF VENEZUELA, EFFORTS TO EMPLACE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUE. SOMALI FRAUD SCANDAL SPREADS NATIONWIDE. ECOTERRORISTS SET FIRE TO BRIDGE IN BERLIN RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL BLACKOUTS.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Germany: Over the weekend insurgents conducted a sabotage operation in Berlin, which targeted electrical infrastructure. The far-left terrorist group Vulkangruppe claimed credit for the attack that took the form of arson attacks on electrical pylons carrying power to much of southwest Berlin. The main attack took the form of arsonists setting fire to a bridge carrying electrical cables across the canal to the west of the power plant in Lichterfelde.

Analyst Comment: This attack was coordinated and timed to coincide with a cold snap that brought extremely cold weather throughout the region. The insurgents were trying to cause as much harm as possible, so they conducted the attack at a time when they knew that cold-weather casualties would be maximized. Local officials have stated that it might be as late as Thursday before repairs can be fully completed, due to the severity of the attack.

-HomeFront-

Minnesota: The Somali Fraud saga continues as dozens of independent investigations and lines of analytical effort result in even more fraud coming to light by the hour. This afternoon, Governor Tim Walz made the announcement that he is dropping out of the gubernatorial race due to the scandal.

Analyst Comment: Minnesota is no longer the only state in which major investigative efforts are underway. After the initial story broke in Minneapolis, others started looking around in their areas, only to find exactly the same kind of fraud...wholesale theft of taxpayer money, laundered through nonexistent daycares and other welfare programs. There are currently reports of widespread Somali fraud in Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Ohio, and Maine. Additional fraud activities are also being investigated in most other states, not just within the Somali community.

Ohio: Overnight a security incident was reported at the home of VP Vance. One assailant, who has been identified as William DeFoor, was able to get close enough to Vance's residence to break one of the exterior windows with a hammer, before being detained and arrested.

Analyst Comment: Considering the extreme threats to key leaders within in the US at this time, this reaction was probably expected. However, this incident was too close for comfort. One lunatic with a hammer getting this close proves that a terrorist with an S-Vest could get just as close, and the outcome would be very different.

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

Analyst Comments: In Venezuela, the situation right now is still very dynamic. Though the American operation to capture Maduro was a one-time mission, the situation has not over yet. Maduro is out of the fight, but right now the United States has, in effect, taken control of Venezuela.

Maduro's allies, Generals, and decades of infrastructure (and criminal enterprise) does not simply evaporate overnight, and the removal of the head of the snake doesn't mean that the body doesn't also exist. In many ways it's business as usual in Venezuela, and in other ways significant changes are underway. President Trump has stated that the short term goal is to run Venezuela for a time, installing a puppet government until a transition to a more stable government can take place. Whether or not this will happen can be debated, but this is the plan for now.

Regarding Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricant (POL) facilities, President Trump stated that American oil companies will be running Venezuela's oil industry (and exporting that oil back to the United States).

Concerning additional strikes, President Trump stated that a wider conflict may be necessary, but has alluded t

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Just a few reminders for everyone who's just become aware of us, in order to keep these briefings from being several hours long, I can't cover everything. I'm probably covering 1% of the world events when we conduct these briefings, so please remember that if I left it out, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's unimportant. Also, remember that I do these briefings quite often, so I might have covered an issue previously that you might not see if you are only watching our most recent videos. I'm also doing this in my spare time, so again I fully admit that these briefings aren't even close to being perfect; I'm going for a healthy blend of speed and quality. If I were to wait and only post a brief when it's "perfect" I would never post anything at all. So expect some minor errors here and there. If there is a major error or correction that needs to be made, I will post it here in the description, and verbally address it in the next briefing. Also, thanks for reading this far. It is always surprising the number of people that don't actually read the description box to find more information. This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney. 

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//The Wire//1130Z January 3, 2026//
//PRIORITY//
//BLUF: UNITED STATES BEGINS WAR IN VENEZUELA. MADURO CAPTURED IN OVERNIGHT RAID.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
 
-International Events-

Caribbean: The war in Venezuela has begun. Overnight, the United States carried out a Helicopter Assault Force (HAF) raid to capture Maduro and his family, which President Trump states was a success. Maduro is currently being flown out of the country, and large-scale airstrikes are being carried out in Caracas. No American casualties have been reported as a result of the operation, and the forces that launched the raid are already out of Venezuelan airspace. 

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

Analyst Comments: Based on statements made by Maduro's political opposition, he cut a deal. The raid was part of the egress plan to get him out of the country, and he did so willingly. The kinetic nature of the operation was to enable Marudo to escape without his own people killing him, and so far the operation seems to be a success. Whether or not any of this is true is anyone's guess at the moment, but that's the story.

Concerning battle damage in Caracas, substantial strikes have taken place. Once the sun rises a more thorough examination of what happened can take place, but right now it looks like most of the military capability in Caracas has been taken offline, with heavy strikes hitting Fort Tiuna, as well as La Carlota Airbase.

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

//The Wire//2300Z January 2, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: PROTESTS EXPAND IN TEHRAN. TERROR ATTACK HALTED IN NORTH CAROLINA.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
 
-International Events-

Iran: Overnight demonstrations continued throughout the country, increasing in size and scale. Yesterday evening President Trump weighed in on the protests, directly stating that the United States will intervene militarily if Iranian forces begin shooting protesters en masse.

Analyst Comment: In the Middle East, a "happening" may potentially be on the horizon. So far, the Iranian government has seen worse protests over the years, but the situation is deteriorating rapidly and in classic regional fashion things are getting out of hand in some cities, particularly in locations where a protester gets shot, or some other high-profile event occurs.

From the West, regime change is clearly being encouraged, as it has been for a very long time. Considering Netanyahu's recent visit to DC, and the general diplomatic strategy at play here, it's absolutely certain that both Israel and the US are making another big push for regime change again, so we'll have to see how it works out this time around.

-HomeFront-

North Carolina: This morning the DoJ announced the arrest of one individual who was allegedly planning to carry out a New Year's terror attack. Christian Sturdivant was arrested after conveying attack plans to an undercover agent earlier in December. The suspect pledged allegiance to what he thought was ISIS, and wanted to conduct an Islamic stabbing attack at a local area grocery store.

The suspect originally came "on the radar" of the FBI back in 2022, when he made contact with actual ISIS fighters on social media, who encouraged him to conduct home invasions and kill people with hammers. The FBI made contact with him at that time, however he was 14 years old and no charges were filed as he allegedly underwent psychological treatment.

Last month, after turning 18, Sturdivant returned to social media, making threats of his own, which prompted the FBI to intervene again to attempt to institutionalize him, which failed after a local magistrate judge refused to involuntarily commit him, and the FBI moved forward with their criminal case resulting in his arrest.

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

Analyst Comments: Based on the documentation that has been provided on the details of the case, this seems less like a major terrorist takedown, and more like a habitually violent idiot getting rolled up after he posted stupid stuff online.

The suspect's shockingly low IQ can be discerned from the press release, which indicate that the FBI was able to get pretty much every bit of evidence physically possible: He made violent threats online, which were followed up by messages from two undercover FBI agents, which in turn prompted the suspect to confess his entire attack plans in depth, up to and including a voice recording confession.

Nevertheless, this context is not to downplay this individual's actions...idiots can still be very dangerous. He did indeed express his violent desires and took steps to work toward these goals, as he has been working on for several years now. And considering that he was arrested in Mint Hill (a suburb of the infamous city of Charlotte), this will be important to remember in the likely chance that he gets let out of custody (again).

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

//The Wire//2300Z January 1, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MULTIPLE STATES OF UNREST CONTINUE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. MAJOR FIRE RESULTS IN MASS CASUALTIES AT SWISS NIGHTCLUB. NEW YEAR'S RIOTS STRIKE EUROPE.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
 
-International Events-

Switzerland: Last night a significant structure fire was reported at a New Year's celebration event hosted by a nightclub in Crans-Montana. A fire broke out at the Le Constellation nightclub, which consumed most of the facility. Approximately 40x fatalities have been reported due to the fire, along with dozens of others suffering severe burns. Most of these casualties are assessed to have resulted from the challenges in evacuating the structure.

Netherlands: Overnight a major fire was reported at the historic Vondelkerk Church in Amsterdam. The fire completely destroyed most of the church, which was serving mostly as office space due to a decline in the parish population over the years.

Analyst Comment: The cause of the fire has officially not been released, however local authorities have stated that the fire is under investigation, which is itself and indicator that there is something to investigate.

Europe: New Year's festivities resulted in many riots around the continent. Various Moroccan enclaves in Belgium were observed rioting overnight, many of which involved parading around Brussels with weapons in the open, and generally trying to destroy things with fireworks. Actual explosives and incendiary devices were also used throughout the night in Belgium, as a few firebombings took place in Antwerp. France reported around 1,173x vehicles set on fire around the nation, and about 500x arrests were made by riot police throughout the night. Arson attacks were also reported throughout the Netherlands, with migrants attacking Dutch police vehicles with Molotovs.

Middle East: The situation in Iran is deteriorating as protests continue to grow throughout the nation. Protests began in Tehran a few days ago, and have spread to several other major cities around the country.

Analyst Comment: As with any crisis in the region, there is a significant amount of deception and propaganda afoot. However, based on the videos that are making it out of the country, the protests are indeed real. The point of debate is how significant these demonstrations are. The Israeli's have claimed what they always do, that the Ayatollah has fled the country in disgrace, and revolution is underway. The Iranians have likewise done what they always do as well, and not even acknowledged what's happening at all. The truth is probably somewhere between these two extremes, and only time will tell how significant these protests become over the next few weeks.

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

Analyst Comments: Right now it looks like the nightclub fire/explosion in Switzerland was probably not a terrorist attack, as the start of the fire was highly documented. A considerable amount of fireworks were noted at this location, many of which were being set off in a risky manner, such as the fireworks which were ignited indoors and held very close to extremely flammable soundproofing tiles. Shortly after the investigation into the fire was launched, Swiss authorities stated that they think it was an accident.

Witnesses that took videos of the aftermath might also shed some light on why there was an  exceptionally high casualty count for such a small venue. Videos of the fire (which are too graphic for mixed company) confirm that many people were trapped inside the building, and unable to escape. Only one staircase served as an egress method for the basement, where the fire first began. Additionally, once the fire broke out, many people did not evacuate, either out of ignorance or inebriation. As such, many people only thought about evacuating after the fire was already consuming the entire structure, and it was impossible to use the st