Local and regional media have reported that gunfire erupted outside of the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. https://twitter.com/ghmv2research/status/1798241853768343659?s=46&t=We8RLpx8YdsN15-tpkJtww The US Embassy confirmed the reports, stating that "at 8:34AM local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the U.S. Embassy." They further added that, thanks to the quick response of security forces that embassy staff are safe. Their full statement may be read below. https://twitter.com/usembassybeirut/status/1798240030512607534?s=46&t=We8RLpx8YdsN15-tpkJtww The Lebanese military has stated that there was a single attacker, and that the gunman was injured in return fire, and taken to a hospital. Some reports claim there to have been multiple attackers, though the Lebanese military has only indicated one in their statements. https://twitter.com/lebarmyofficial/status/1798239638970057108?s=46&t=We8RLpx8YdsN15-tpkJtww Some reports also have claimed that one member of the embassy security team was injured in the attack, though this, too, remains unconfirmed at this time. The exact identity of the gunman is unclear, though the Lebanese Army did confirm him to be of Syrian nationality. The Lebanese Army has further stated that they have deployed to the surrounding area in order to establish proper security. Updates to follow should they become available.

On June 4th, the Philippine National Police (PNP) requested that the Bureau of Immigration place a Chinese national named Liu Yuhang on its lookout list to prevent him from fleeing the country. The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested Liu in San Isidro Barangay, Paranaque, metro Manila, on May 29th. CIDG arrested Liu for “possession of a firearm and coercing a victim to deliver unidentified hacking devices” to his residence. He had several pieces of equipment, such as an antenna system, a solar inverter, a radio receiver, a laptop, and several cell phones. The PNP also requested that the National Telecommunications Commission assist in the investigation due to the equipment seized. Philippine authorities suspect Liu of spying for China, an allegation he denies.

The deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s committee on national security, defense, and intelligence confirmed that Ukrainian strikes took place on June 2nd had damaged and destroyed S-300 and S-400 missile launcher systems, which are used by Russia to target both aerial vehicles in an air defense capacity and ground locations in the form of indirect bombardment. He also said United States-sent HIMARS launchers had been utilized to carry out the strikes.The chairman, Yehor Chernev, said that the launchers had been destroyed in the Belgorod region, around 20 miles inside Russia. This comes only five days after the Biden Administration greenlit the allowance to use U.S. systems operated by Ukrainian forces to strike inside the border region of Russia in Belgorod.This decision was announced after Russian ground invasion forces reopened a northern offensive from the Belgorod region into the Kharkiv region in the northeast of Ukraine. An extended bombing campaign from multiple Russian missile strikes and directed drone waves carrying explosive payloads has left several dozen Ukrainian civilians killed and wounded, as well as electrical infrastructure partially destroyed in Kharkiv city and the surrounding area in the past few weeks.

India’s Election Commission announced the results of the 2024 general elections, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning 293 seats and the Indian National Congress-led INDIA bloc winning 233. Specifically, the BJP won most of the seats for the NDA, while the Indian National Congress party only won 99 seats for the INDIA bloc. Current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to create a government for the third term. However, the BJP did not perform as well as the exit polls predicted, with most indicating the party would win in a landslide. While the BJP has enough to form a government, it must now depend on other political parties in the NDA bloc and likely other non-NDA-aligned parties during the new term. https://twitter.com/theprintindia/status/1798037105521902028?s=43

Australia will allow “eligible non-citizens” to be recruited by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as part of the country’s plan to increase personnel numbers. The government released its National Defence Strategy, which initially unveiled the plan in April 2024. Beginning in July, New Zealanders who meet the eligibility requirements can apply to join the ADF. American, British, and Canadian citizens can also apply to enlist in the ADF beginning in January 2025. The new requirements say individuals must live in Australia for at least one year before starting the enlistment process, must not have served in a foreign military in the previous two years, and must meet the requirements to receive Australian citizenship. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the expansion plan is “necessary as the defence landscape shifts.”

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has announced it has signed a deal with the United States to purchase twenty-five F-35 fighter aircraft.The announcement reads below: "The deal was signed by the head of the procurement delegation, Brig. Gen. (res.) Michel Ben-Baruch, and includes 25 F-35 aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, including support and maintenance. Upon completion of the deal, the Israeli Air Force will expand to 75 of the most advanced stealth aircraft in the world. The supply of aircraft to the IDF will begin in 2028 at a rate of 3-5 aircraft per year." The deal is reported to be worth about 3B USD. Israel became a partner in the international F-35 program in December 2017 when it bought its first nine. By May 2018, Israel had claimed to be the first country to use them in combat. As of November 2022, Israel had 36 F-35s in active service deployed through three combat squadrons at Nevatim Air Base (140th, 116th, and the 117th). It also employs a small number at the Flight Test Center at the Tel Nof Airbase. This deal comes amidst strained tensions between the Biden Administration and the Netanyahu government over the ongoing war in Gaza.

As this publication reported earlier this morning, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) scrambled aircraft to intercept a Russian Tu-134/CRUSTY and An-12/CUB D. The Luftwaffe has announced that German aircraft and Finnish aircraft have scrambled again to intercept an IL-20/COOT and an AN-12/CUB D. It is not currently clear if this is the same An-12 that was intercepted earlier today. However, the addition of the IL-20/COOT which is clearly an ISR-fitted aircraft is novel. https://twitter.com/Team_Luftwaffe/status/1797977865293550023

Update (0917 EST): At least four fatalities have been reported. https://twitter.com/jenansyria9/status/1797978506061861170 At approximately 0830 EST, initial reports indicated that a five-story building had collapsed in Mit Ghamr, al-Daqahliyah Governorate, Egypt. The building in question is reported to be an occupied residential dwelling on Nabi Daniel Street in the center of Mit Ghamr city. A cordon has reportedly been established and emergency services or digging through the rubble for survivors. As of this publication, the Civil Protection Forces have not published a death toll. This is developing.

The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) announced that its forces intercepted a Russian Tu-134 and An-12 aircraft over the Baltic Sea after either aircraft did not respond to radio calls and positive aircraft control. https://twitter.com/Team_Luftwaffe/status/1797934934251774329 The last bi-lateral intercept between Germany and the Russian Federation was April 26th, 2023, when the Luftwaffe sent Eurofighters to intercept two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft and one Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea. However, in March of 2024, German fighters intercepted Russian aircraft near the Estonia border as part of the NATO Air Police Missions. Both aircraft have several variants ranging from Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) to civilian cargo duties. The Russian Ministry of Defense has made no comment on this incident and it is not currently clear which vairant of aircraft these are.

Multiple signs have been erected outside the French Embassy in Moscow calling on French troops to surrender to the Russian government, most likely due to President Macron's public statements that French troops would be prepared to enter Ukraine. Radio frequencies have been published on the sign for French troops to contact Russian authorities to organize surrender actions. As Russian state-owned media reported already, the sign depicts the French Commander of the SS Charlemagne Division, Edgar Joseph Alexandre Puaud who was killed by Soviet troops in 1945. Puaud was a French army officer during the German invasion of France in 1940. After the French surrendered, Puaud joined the German Army and eventually the SS, accepting the collaborationist argument that Bolshevism was a greater threat to Europe than fascism. After the collapse of the German Eastern Front and the Allied Invasion of Europe in 1944, Puaud was transferred to the SS and sent to Pomerania to fight the advancing Soviets. My March 17th, 1945, Puaud's pocket of troops was wiped out by Soviet artillery and infantry attacks, he has been presumed dead.  

At approximately 0300 EST, initial reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) indicated that five ISIS militants were killed in a U.S. airstrike and air assault operation in al-Dahla village in Deir Ezzor Governate, Syria. By 0400 EST, the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) had confirmed an operation and that a cell of five ISIS members were killed. This cell was reportedly responsible for a car bombing in Deir Ezzor Governate. Ontop of the five killed, two were also arrested. One of the cell members killed has been identified as Hussein Muhammad al-Khader. By 0500 EST, Hawar News reported that the ISIS cell had detonated explosives in the house where the cell worked out of during the raid. That explosion reportedly caused casualties among the U.S.-led team. Of the coalition casualties, five have been reported as SDF, with zero reported U.S. casualties. https://twitter.com/DeirEzzore/status/1797923820944445504

Local media, as well as Washington DC's Police Department, has reported that a suspect in a stolen vehicle crashed into the US Attorney's office in Washington DC. The vehicle, which reportedly was first stolen from the Washington Hospital Center, still had within it an elderly woman when it was stolen. https://twitter.com/DCPoliceDept/status/1797693488458547299 Following crashing into the US Attorney's office, the suspect reportedly ran inside the building, leaving the elderly woman in the car. According to local news company WUSA9, the suspect has been apprehended, and the elderly woman had fallen unconscious. Medical teams were reported to be on site performing CPR upon the woman, with her present condition unknown. The identity of the suspect is also unknown.

At approximately 1030 EST, initial reports indicated that an attack was underway against IDF vehicles near the Balata Camp in the West Bank. By 1100 EST, the IDF had counterattacked on al-Quds Street and had engaged several militants. By 1103 EST, initial reports showed the body of a man on the roof of a building. The pistol he was carrying can be seen next to the body. Armed Israeli police then remove the body and confiscate the firearm. https://twitter.com/MaarivOnline/status/1797651003548012559 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1797646160653394319 Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades published on its TG page that its fighters were engaged with the IDF, while Israeli press reported that the Israeli Border Police Shomron Division had killed a "senior wanted man", reportedly the individual shown above. The IDF has not identified this man to the press. By 1130 EST, Al-Jazeera reported that one person had been killed and eight others had been injured by the IDF operation. https://twitter.com/AJABreaking/status/1797655661745971263 This is developing.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expanded personal sanctions against the United Kingdom, banning entry for a number of British political representatives, media personnel, and experts. According to an announcement on the ministry's website, this decision comes in response to what Russia perceives as hostile actions by the UK, and targets British citizens "actively" engaged in these efforts. The new additions to Russia's stop-list include politicians involved in directing anti-Russian policies, journalists and British media accused of spreading falsehoods and Russophobia, and experts presenting Russia in a negative light, all of which according to the Russian government. Additionally, Russian diplomats have urged the UK to cease military support for Ukraine, which Russia claims prolongs the conflict and results in civilian casualties.

The Netherlands has granted Ukraine permission to use F-16 fighter jets, which are set to be transferred as part of military aid, for operations against targets within Russia. This statement was made by Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren during an interview with Politico at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore. Unlike Belgium, whose Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has cautioned Kiev against using F-16s in Russian airspace, the Netherlands will impose no such restrictions. Minister Ollongren emphasized that once the aircraft are handed over, their use is at Ukraine's discretion, urging only adherence to international law and the right to self-defense as outlined in the UN Charter. The Netherlands plans to provide Ukraine with 24 fighter jets, with Denmark, Norway, and Belgium also committing to send F-16s. The first of these jets could be delivered as early as June or July, with Ukraine expected to receive approximately 45 aircraft in total.