The Wire - July 24, 2026

//The Wire//2300Z July 24, 2026//
 //ROUTINE//
 //BLUF: TARGETING CONTINUES TO ESCALATE THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST. EXPLOSIVES RECOVERED DURING RAID IN IRELAND. SHILOH HENDRIX CONVICTED OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN LANDMARK FREE SPEECH CASE.//

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-International Events-

Middle East: Iranian strikes continue to target American military installations around the region. Most of the American bases in Kuwait have been struck regularly by Iranian drones, and missile attacks remain constant at American positions in Jordan. This morning, the Patriot battery in Erbil was targeted again, with local Iraqis reporting large smoke plumes emitting from the section of the base where the launchers are located. Some successful interceptions of drones were also reported along with the more unconfirmed targeting efforts which can't yet be geolocated or verified with satellite imagery.

Iran: American targeting continues to escalate as well. Airstrikes have been observed in Bandar Abbas, Jask, and Qeshm Island, along with more substantial strikes at the underground missile cities in Khorramabad and Yazd. Coastal targets remain an American priority as the ports and marinas housing small boats using the IRGCN are constantly targeted.

Red Sea/HOA: This afternoon the war between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia flared up once again, with both belligerents trading strikes this evening. The Yemeni port (and Houthi stronghold) of Hodeida was struck, with fires continuing to burn late into the night. 

Ireland: This morning an explosive device was discovered during a series of raids throughout the regions near the border with Northern Ireland. One suspect was arrested after a bag containing plastic explosives (allegedly Semtex) and a detonator was discovered in her vehicle.

Analyst Comment: Details are very sketchy and vague, but this incident generally aligns with some of the other incidents that have recently taken place regarding explosives in Northern Ireland or adjacent areas. Much of the time the person arrested in possession of an explosive device is not the actual assailant, but instead transporting a package that they do not know the contents of. What the story is in this case, is not known. However, this is another reminder that even though Northern Ireland might be out of the mainstream news cycle, paramilitary groups are very much active throughout the region, and the causes of the Belfast riots last month have not been forgotten.

-HomeFront-

Minnesota: Last night, after a four day jury trial that involved multiple Somali interpreters, Shiloh Hendrix was convicted of one count of disorderly conduct, for calling a Somalian a name while being harassed on a Rochester playground in May of last year.

Analyst Comment: This landmark First Amendment case is being appealed on the grounds that the judge in the case refused to allow evidence to be presented, verbally abused the defense council in front of the jury, and allowed one the the star witnesses in the case to commit perjury while on the stand.

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Analyst Comments: Indications and warnings continue to point toward a widening of the war, possibly to include more serious targeting efforts over the next few days/weeks. All American aircraft that were stationed at Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar have been relocated to Ovda Airbase in Israel, and King Hussein International Airport in Jordan, both of which have been targeted by Iran since their movement earlier this week. Otherwise, military aviation has been extremely active throughout the region, with many assets being moved around from base to base.

On the messaging front within the homeland, other more generalized indicators are stacking up too. The media blitz to urge a widening of the war has re-intensified to a staggering degree, to similar levels in the days leading up to the war back in February. Rhetoric from official White House sources has likewise continued to expand the war, with the announced targets now including more tunnels and bridges along with more deliberately civilian infrastructure such as power plants, and water treatment/desalination facilities. All things considered, as the weekend approaches more targeting is likely.

Analyst: S2A1
 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
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