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Title: August 29, 2025

GRAY ZONE BRIEF 29 AUGUST 2025

U.S. DOMESTIC TERRORISM

A man was arrested in Dallas Monday night after he allegedly walked to an entrance of an ICE facility and told officials he had a bomb in his backpack, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release Tuesday. Bratton Dean Wilkinson, a 35-year-old US citizen, arrived at the entrance of the Dallas Field office at 6:37 p.m. local time, showing a security officer a device on his wrist he claimed was a detonator, DHS said. The location houses the Dallas Field office and Enforcement and Removal Operations, they said. A shelter-in-place was issued for the facility and local police responded with a bomb squad, which was able to clear the scene about 30 minutes later.

IRANIAN ASSASSINS IN AUSSIE LAND

Iran-directed criminals twice targeted wrong venue before torching kosher Australian deli. Australian authorities have uncovered that the October 2024 arson attack on the kosher deli Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi was part of a failed assassination attempt orchestrated by Iran. The operation, led by Sayed Moosawi, president of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang, was intended to target a different venue. However, due to a mix-up, the attack was carried out on the wrong establishment. Moosawi, who used the encrypted messaging app Signal under the alias “James Bond,” directed the operation remotely. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) identified Iranian involvement through a funding trail linking Moosawi to Tehran. In response to these findings, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador, marking the first such expulsion since World War II. The Iranian regime has denied involvement in the attacks, calling the allegations part of a Western smear campaign. This incident highlights the use of local criminal networks by foreign states to conduct covert operations, raising concerns about national security and the potential for further such activities.

U.S.C.G. MAKE RECORD DRUG HAUL

A US Coast Guard cutter on Monday unloaded a record haul of illegal drugs that, if it had made it to the streets, would represent around 23 million deadly doses of cocaine, the service said.The cutter Hamilton offloaded about 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, around 30 miles north of Miami, in what is “the largest quantity of drugs offloaded in Coast Guard history,” a Coast Guard statement said. The total value of the seized drugs was put at $473 million. That’s “enough to fatally overdose the entire population of the state of Florida, underscoring the immense threat posed by transnational drug trafficking to our nation,” Rear Adm. Adam Chamie said in the statement.

RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR

Russia launches major overnight attack on Kyiv** - Russian forces carried out a major overnight drone and missile strike on Kyiv, killing 14 people, including three children aged 2, 17 and 14, and injuring dozens, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. Casualties are expected to rise. The assault, involving 629 air attack weapons, damaged hundreds of buildings across several districts, with fires reported in high-rise apartments and heavy destruction in at least two apartment blocks on both sides of the Dnipro River. In the Darnytskyi district, part of a five-storey building collapsed, prompting rescue operations to search for people trapped under rubble. Kyiv’s military administration described the assault as a “typical” Russian tactic, using combined strikes from multiple directions and deliberately targeting civilian housing. “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in response. Emergency services, including 500 rescuers and 1,000 police officers, are responding at more than 20 locations across the city as fires continue to burn.

RUSSIAN LNG

Sanctions test. A vessel loaded with liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 plant, which is under U.S. sanctions, docked for the first time at China’s Beihai LNG terminal. Several cargoes have been loaded from Arctic 2 LNG over the past year, but fear of U.S. retaliation thus far has prevented any from being delivered abroad. The tanker's trip could be a test of Washington's position on sanctions.

BAYRAKTAR IN UKRAINE

Caught in crossfire. A drone factory that Turkey’s Bayraktar is building in Kyiv suffered serious damage in a Russian missile strike, Turkish media reported. Production lines at the facility reportedly were about to be commissioned. Information on the extent of the damage is unavailable. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about bilateral relations and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Erdogan threw his country’s full support behind Russia-Ukraine negotiations and promised that Turkey would continue contributing to Ukraine’s security.

TURKEY’S STEEL DOME

Steel Dome. On Wednesday, Erdogan inaugurated a new integrated air defense system known as “Steel Dome.” It is unclear when the network will be operational, but its latest stage consists of 47 vehicles worth $460 million, according to Erdogan. The Turkish leader also announced an unprecedented $1.5 billion investment to create the Ogulbey Technology Base, which will serve as a hub for developing Steel Dome.

WESTERN FLEX ON CHINA IN ASIAN PACIFIC WATERS

Air defense drills. Australia, Canada and the Philippines deployed three warships and several aircraft for drills near Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday. The Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane, Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and Philippine frigate BRP Jose Rizal conducted exercises east of the shoal, which both China and the Philippines claim. At least three fighter jets flew overhead, and two combat helicopters operated near the Philippine frigate. China did not immediately comment on the exercises.

ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN & CHINA

Endorsement. Armenia and Azerbaijan should both join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization according to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Both countries have already applied for membership, he said. The presidents of both countries will visit China for the SCO summit from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1.

JAPAN & UZBEKISTAN

Strategic dialogue. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met with his Uzbek counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Tashkent. They discussed major chemical and energy projects and options to expand cooperation in IT, transport, mining and renewable energy. After the meeting, officials signed a joint communique on strategic dialogue, which focused on strengthening political and economic cooperation, among other things.

CHINA & UZBEKISTAN

Chinese investment. China’s Shandong Huada Group will invest $500 million to build transport and logistics infrastructure in eastern Uzbekistan’s Andijan region. The company and the regional governor agreed on the project, which will include a railway and logistics park. The park will anchor a growing transport corridor linking the planned Lhasa railway in Tibet, China’s Xinjiang region and Uzbekistan’s Andijan-Tashkent-Samarkand high-speed motorways.

USAF & IAF

Air force plans. Senior leaders of Israel’s air force hosted their U.S. counterparts last week for the annual Air Senior National Representatives forum, the Israeli military said. Officials discussed deepening strategic cooperation against shared regional challenges and developed a joint work plan for 2026.

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— END REPORT