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From: N3MELDate: Fri, 06 Mar 26 03:06:00 Z
Newsgroups: NEWS.USA
Subject: //The Wire//2300Z March 5, 2026//
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The Wire - March 5, 2026
//The Wire//2300Z March 5, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MERCHANT VESSEL STRUCK BY EXPLOSIVE FASTBOAT IN PERSIAN GULF.
DRONE AND MISSILE ATTACKS REMAIN CONSTANT AMONG GULF STATES. DRONE
STRIKES REPORTED IN AZERBAIJAN.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Persian Gulf: Attacks on merchant shipping continue as an oil tanker
that was anchored off the coast of Kuwait was struck by Iranian forces
overnight. The vessel has been identified as the M/V SONAGOL NAMIBE, an
oil tanker that is currently anchored in the group of vessels that are
waiting for the risks in the Strait to subside.
Analyst Comment: Turns out, in such a small waterway, it's just as
dangerous to remain at anchor. This strike is also different from the
rest, as video evidence confirms that this was the result of a (possibly
remote-controlled) Iranian fastboat conducting a strike on the vessel.
For context, the Iranian Navy is split into two parts, the Islamic
Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN), which is the more traditional navy
comprised of Line ships, and the Islamic Republic Guard Corps Navy
(IRGCN). The majority of the IRIN has mostly been sunk over the past few
days, however the smaller "speedboat navy" of the IRGC-N was created
solely for the purpose of conducting asymmetric warfare, and is likely
the culprit of this attack. As there are a few dozen other tankers
parked immediately adjacent to the one that was struck, it is likely
that more of these attacks will take place, as long as the IRGCN is able to.
Iran: Within the mainland itself, the large-scale bombing of Tehran and
other major population centers continues alongside the bombing of most
military bases throughout the country. Yesterday Israeli forces shot
down an Iranian YAK-130 training aircraft, which had somehow managed to
get airborne, and drone attacks launched by the Iranians continue as before.
Azerbaijan: Iranian forces launched a drone attack on the airport in the
border town of Nakhchivan. The main terminal was hit by Shahed-type
drones, and another undisclosed location in Shekarabad was also struck.
Analyst Comment: This is noteworthy as Azerbaijan was one of Iran's only
regional allies. As a result, Azerbaijan has demanded an apology, and
diplomatic relations are not great as two people were killed during the
strikes on the airport. Officially, the Iranians have denied that they
carried out the attack, stating that it was a false flag incident.
-HomeFront-
Utah: Overnight a killing spree was reported spanning multiple counties,
involving multiple casualties. The incident began after an assailant
murdered an elderly victim in Lyman. The attacker then stole her
vehicle, and traveled to a hiking trailhead in Wayne County, where he
murdered two women on the trail. This prompted a state-wide manhunt,
which located the suspect after he had fled the scene, with the
assailant eventually being located and arrested. As the suspect was
arrested over the border in the state of Colorado, he has been
identified as Ivan Miller.
Analyst Comment: At the moment, this appears to be a series of random
murders, as none of the victims (nor the perpetrator) appears to have
any connection to any sort of motive, other than random mental illness.
More details are expected to emerge as the investigation continues.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: European evacuations of European citizens from the
Middle East continues, with Spain dedicating military assets to getting
some of their citizens out of the region over night. So far, zero
Americans have been evacuated via American military means (which have
the capabilities to fly when civilian aircraft cannot), and any American
who has managed to get out has done so via commercial means. Commercial
flights out of Dubai and Riyadh are occurring, they're just slow due to
the sheer number of people trying to leave and the few aircraft landing
between drone attacks.
As of this afternoon, D+6 (six days after this war began) the drone
attacks have remained constant. All Gulf States have been publishing
daily engagement numbers, and so far, the drone attacks have not really
dwindled that much, despite assurances by many that the attacks have
stopped. The drone attacks have not ceased...they are simply being
intercepted out over the water. Some drones are making it through
defenses to strike targets, with limited success. This afternoon several
hotels were struck by Iranian drones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which has
served to remind everyone involved that the threats are real and
persistent. Either way, drone sightings and close-in interceptions are
enough to ground aircraft for a while, further adding to the evacuation
bottlenecks that are stacking up around the region.
Regarding timelines, yesterday evening the estimates for the length of
the operation have changed again, with SECWAR Hegseth stating that the
operation is now planned to take an uncertain amount of time,
potentially up to 8 weeks. The Secretary of War also stated that the
United States is planned to achieve uncontested airspace in the skies
over Iran within a few days, possibly up to a week. Either way, this
confirms that after nearly a week, the airspace is still somewhat
contested, despite the overwhelming large bombing raids witnessed so far.
Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//
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