This Week’s World War Three News Report

In a week defined by geopolitical intrigue, covert operations, and technological advancements, we extend our World War Three news round up.

A bombshell report from The New York Times alleges that Israeli intelligence, Mossad, orchestrated a covert operation to infiltrate Hezbollah by supplying the group with rigged explosive devices. Mossad is said to have created a shell company, BAC Consulting, based in Hungary, to manufacture pagers rigged with Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN), a highly volatile explosive. These devices were then unknowingly used by Hezbollah operatives. The operation, executed through multiple shell companies, exposes Israel’s deep commitment to destabilizing its enemies using unconventional methods. The explosive-laden pagers resulted in a series of internal mishaps for Hezbollah, shaking the group’s operational confidence.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed Lebanon on Thursday, his first public appearance since the Mossad pager attack was exposed. While Nasrallah spoke, Israeli fighter jets flew low over Beirut, triggering sonic booms as a psychological display of power. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, a region notorious for its militant activities. The strikes, part of a broader campaign, targeted several military installations, signalling that Israel is not backing down in its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah.

While Israel remains silent on the specifics of the rigged devices that detonated within Hezbollah’s ranks, attention has turned to Israel’s elite cyber warfare division, Unit 8200. Comparable to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), Unit 8200 is a formidable force in cyber intelligence, known for high-profile operations like the Stuxnet virus attack on Iran’s nuclear program. Despite its storied history, the unit has come under scrutiny following its failure to prevent the October 7 attacks in Israel. However, Unit 8200’s potential involvement in the recent Hezbollah disruptions cannot be ruled out, given its expertise in cyber sabotage and intelligence manipulation.

A plot to assassinate Israeli leaders were thwarted in a parallel revelation, Israeli authorities disclosed that they had foiled an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate key Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar. The mastermind behind the plot, Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli businessman, was allegedly recruited by Iranian intelligence. Maman’s arrest last month underscores Iran’s persistent attempts to destabilize Israel from within, heightening concerns about Tehran’s covert influence in the region.

Defying China’s demands on the other side of the globe, U.S.-China tensions continue to simmer as Washington defies Beijing’s calls to remove the mid-range Typhon missile system from the Philippines. Initially deployed for joint military exercises in April 2024, the missile system remains stationed, despite Chinese objections. U.S. and Philippine officials maintain that the system plays a crucial role in regional defence strategies, reflecting the growing military cooperation between the two nations amid China’s assertive posturing in the South China Sea.

The Russia-Ukraine war took a technological turn with the debut of Russia’s new drone warfare capability. Russian forces deployed a “Queen” FPV drone carrier to strike Ukrainian units 40 kilometres behind the front lines. This drone, equipped with visual surveillance and control technology, guided kamikaze drones to their targets, marking the first documented use of this system in the conflict. Simultaneously, Russia continues to flex its naval power, announcing that two nuclear-powered submarines, the Imperator Aleksandr III and the Krasnoyarsk, completed a 4,000-nautical-mile voyage beneath the Arctic ice, solidifying their strategic presence in the Pacific.

Back in the cyber realm, the FBI disrupted a massive botnet linked to the Chinese hacker group Flax Typhoon. The botnet, which had infected over 260,000 devices worldwide, including Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets like webcams and routers, posed a significant threat to U.S. infrastructure. The compromised devices were reportedly intended for cyberattacks against American companies and government agencies, illustrating the persistent cyberwar between the U.S. and China.

Amid these escalating tensions, the U.S. military made strides in its own technological advancements. The B-21 Raider, America’s latest stealth bomber, is performing well in test flights, according to Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force officials. With up to two test flights per week, early results show that the bomber aligns closely with its digital models, positioning it as a key element in future U.S. air superiority.

Together, these developments paint a picture of a world on edge, where military technology, covert operations, and geopolitical manoeuvring are playing out in real time, with no clear end in sight. From the backrooms of Beirut to the Arctic ice, global powers are pushing the boundaries of conflict, intelligence, and technological warfare.

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