The Wire - May 13, 2026

//The Wire//2300Z May 13, 2026//
 //ROUTINE//
 //BLUF: UNREST CONTINUES IN EUROPE REGARDING MIGRANT CRISIS. KUWAIT ALLEGEDLY CAPTURES IRANIAN INFILTRATION TEAM ON THEIR BORDER. TRUMP ARRIVES IN CHINA FOR STATE VISIT.//

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 -International Events-

Netherlands: Yesterday afternoon tensions were elevated in Loosdrecht, following the settlement of migrants in the local area. An asylum center was emplaced at the old city hall in Wijdemeren against the will of local citizens, who turned out in number to protest the arrival of the first migrants. After migrants began taunting locals and making threats toward them through the fence, locals tossed lit road flares into the compound, which set the shrubbery on fire.

Far East: President Trump arrived in Beijing this morning for the diplomatic state visit with Xi Jinping. The main focus of the trip is expected to be technology and business ventures, as a large collection of tech CEOs and entrepreneurs form a large part of the Presidential delegation.

Middle East: Yesterday Kuwait claimed to have foiled an infiltration attempt by IRGC forces into their country, allegedly detaining a fireteam of four Iranian soldiers who were attempting to cross onto Bubiyan Island.

Analyst Comment: Not many details have been provided regarding this incident, however for context, this island was used by the United States to launch HIMARs strikes within Iran during the height of the fighting two months ago.

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Analyst Comments: Within the United States, the energy crisis continues to develop. On Monday, the Department of Energy announced emergency efforts to combat the rising costs of fuel. 53 million barrels of oil is to be released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) over the next few weeks, as the Middle East remains at war. Additionally, the White House has floated the idea of a federal gas tax holiday, which would reduce gas prices for customers nationwide by $0.18 per gallon for regular unleaded, and $0.24 for diesel. So far, several states have also temporarily halted their own statewide taxes on gasoline, though this has varied by state.

More strategically, these measures are unlikely to matter much at all in the long run, and are purely band-aid solutions to mitigate a problem without addressing the main concern. Removing taxes, while appreciated by most, cannot conjure up supply when when a major trade route is cut off and there is no viable alternative. And right now the growing problem is availability, as global stockpiles of petroleum, oil, and lubricants begin to be impacted more seriously.

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