The Wire - June 16, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z June 16, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: STRATEGIC MILITARY MOVEMENT INCREASES AMID EXPANSION OF THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. DOMESTIC INCIDENTS CONTINUE AT PROTESTS AND LARGE PUBLIC EVENTS.//

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-International Events-

Middle East: Over the weekend, many successful ballistic missile strikes on Israel were reported, with military installations in Tel Aviv and POL refineries in Haifa being targeted by Iranian forces. In response, Israeli forces have continued strikes on various Iranian targets in Tehran and throughout the nation. Both Israel and Iran have issued warnings to each others' populations, warning of continued attacks on both Tehran and Tel Aviv.

-HomeFront-

Utah: A potential mass shooter was reported at the "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon. One of the internal security personnel at the event spotted an individual open-carrying a rifle and maneuvering toward the protest event. The individual opened fire on the man with the rifle, wounding him, but killing a bystander in the process. The individual carrying the rifle has been identified as Arturo Roberto Gamboa, who was arrested at the scene.

Also in Utah, a mass shooting was reported at the "Westfest" carnival in West Valley. 3x people were killed in the engagement, and 2x others were wounded.

AC: This shooting appears to be the result of a verbal altercation and/or gang activity, and not a deliberate attack. Most of the individuals involved in the shooting were unidentified minors, and most of the casualties were bystanders.

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Analyst Comments: In the Middle East, indications and warnings have emerged regarding the potential involvement of the United States in the war. The USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) CSG has begun maneuvering to the region, and was spotted transiting the Singapore Strait this morning. The NIMITZ is expected to supplement the USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) CSG, bringing the count of aircraft carriers in theater to two.

Overnight, approximately 32x US Air Force KC-135 and KC-46 refueling aircraft were observed departing their bases in the United States, heading east. Most of these refuelers landed in Spain, with a few being scattered at other bases throughout the EUCOM theater.

 So far, there's been no acknowledgement by the Pentagon as to the reason why these aircraft have been forward deployed. No journalist and/or influencer in the Pentagon or White House press pool has figured out this development either, so no one with access to directly ask the question even knows about this movement yet. Answers may arrive in a few days after the mainstream media figures out what happened, as this is a major indication and warning of impending strategic needs for refueling aircraft. Many have theorized that these aircraft are scheduled to take part in a NATO exercise in Finland, however, this does not appear to be likely. Some may indeed be positioned for taking part in drills, but right now the total number of assets deployed is vastly more than should be expected for an exercise.

Regarding the shooting in Salt Lake City, situations of unrest often result in a change of dynamic when it comes to small arms engagements. In a large crowd of people, there's no telling what might happen, but more importantly if something *does* happen there are very few ways of mitigating the effects. In this case, the media is spinning this as a "peaceful protester" being accidentally shot by another "peaceful protester", when in reality the situation has a bit more nuance than that. The protesters acting as security for the event saw an individual in black bloc clothing approaching the event with a slung rifle, and decided to engage. Whether Gamboa was actually intending to conduct a mass shooting will be argued in court, however these protests remain very high-risk events to attend, in one way or ano