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Title: March 5, 2026

GRAY ZONE BRIEF 5 MARCH 2026
 
TRUMP ASSASSINATION PLOT
 
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that an Iranian leader behind a unit that attempted to assassinate President Trump has been killed in Iran amid Operation Epic Fury.
 
In 2024, Iran-linked actors attempted to arrange an assassination plot to take out the president. Iran has previously threatened to assassinate Trump following the 2020 killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
 
In 2022, an Iranian video depicted an assassination attempt on Trump while he played golf.
 
U.S. officials confirmed earlier this week that strikes on Iran, which began Saturday, killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
 
Trump reflected on Khamenei's death in a call to ABC News' Jonathan Karl earlier this week, saying: "I got him before he got me."
 
"They tried twice," Trump continued, referring to Iran's previous attempts on his life. "Well, I got him first."
 
Meanwhile, Hegseth, on Wednesday said the combination of U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power "will control Iran and will control it soon."
 
ISRAEL TOOK CONTROL OF IRAN’S TRAFFIC CAMERAS TO TARGET AYATOLLAH
 
Israel Infiltrated Tehran’s Traffic Cameras Enabling Them To Take Out Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei**- Israel reportedly hacked Iran’s traffic camera network to monitor Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials for years before his assassination on Saturday and the subsequent U.S.–Israeli airstrikes. The long-running cyber-surveillance campaign conducted by Israeli intelligence agencies inside Iran are believed to have infiltrated Tehran’s vast network of traffic cameras, quietly turning the city’s urban surveillance infrastructure into a powerful intelligence tool capable of monitoring the movements of senior Iranian officials. The operation is said to have combined cyber intrusions, human intelligence, and advanced data analytics. According to two unnamed sources cited by the Financial Times, nearly all traffic cameras in Tehran had been compromised for years. Their footage was allegedly encrypted and transmitted to servers located in Tel Aviv and in southern Israel. The operation highlights the increasing role of cyber warfare and digital surveillance in modern intelligence gathering. By gaining covert access to traffic cameras throughout the Iranian capital, analysts were able to build a detailed picture of the daily routines surrounding Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and the security apparatus tasked with protecting him.
 
THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
 
The partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security could impact how the federal government is able to address potential terror threats in the U.S., a public safety expert said, warning that the escalating conflict with Iran could encourage those wishing to harm Americans.
 
Jeffrey Halstead, a retired police chief in Fort Worth, Texas, and a former commander for Homeland Security for Phoenix police, told Fox News Digital that U.S. military actions could "escalate the mindset of some of these outlying or outlier terrorist entities" wanting to take action.
 
"We've seen historically that any time there is a conflict, especially in the Middle East with escalating tensions, military action and now a declaration of war, there is a significant impact on the ability for us to work collectively to share intelligence and gather information in a timely manner from our federal partners," Halstead said. "With the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown, if something were to occur here in the United States, there could be some significant delays because FEMA and other very, very critical divisions of the federal government are basically shut down."
 
He specifically pointed out the terrorist attack in Austin, Texas, over the weekend, which left 2 people dead and 14 injured. The suspect, Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized citizen born in Senegal, was also killed.
 
Authorities said they are investigating the shooting, which took place at a bar at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, as a "potential nexus to terrorism" as Diagne appeared to wear a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt and an undershirt depicting the Iranian flag. A Quran was also later recovered from his vehicle, and an Iranian flag and images of regime leaders were found at his home.
 
That attack came after U.S.-Israeli joint military strikes, which began against Iran on Saturday morning, killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other leaders, triggering a wider conflict in the Middle East.
 
PAKISTAN
 
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation, warned Iran that it has a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, which considers an attack on one nation to be an attack on both. “It is a sovereign agreement, and we are bound by that,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the Pakistani Senate. The Iranian leadership, he added, “should keep that in mind.” It remains unclear if Pakistan is prepared to enter a broader conflict against Iran.
 
**NOTE:**
I am not sure how this would impact the current situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Pakistan does border Iran in its southwest province (which they are also having issues with a separatist group - the baloch separatist army.
 
CHINA
 
China will send a special envoy to the Middle East to help mediate conflicts, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. In public statements, the Chinese government has condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, calling them “unacceptable” to “kill the leader of a sovereign country” and urging an immediate diplomatic solution to the conflict. China is Iran’s largest oil buyer.
 
CHINESE BIOLAB PROGRAM IN U.S.
 
**FBI probe of 2nd China-linked lab in U.S. raises specter of bio weapons program** -
 
Communist China has been linked to at least two facilities in the United States that appear to be part of a biological weapons program. The facilities are in Nevada and California. A Declaration of Arrest Report, issued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in connection with the detention of Ori Solomon on Jan. 31, states that there is a “deeper conspiracy” between an illegal biological lab in Reedley, California, and a residence in Nevada found to contain apparently dangerous substances. The FBI now appears concerned about the scope of the Chinese effort. It executed a search warrant on the Reedley facility on Feb. 8. Authorities also found medical waste and chemical, viral, and biological agents. There were at least 20 potentially infectious pathogens on-site, including those that cause coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis, and herpes. The lab contained a freezer labeled “Ebola.” The freezer held unlabeled sealed bags used to store high-risk biological materials. In the garage, investigators found multiple refrigerators with vials of unknown liquids, unknown liquids in gallon-size containers, a centrifuge and other laboratory equipment, authorities said. Investigators identified the owner of the Las Vegas home as Jia Bei Zhu, who is already in federal custody following the discovery of an unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California, in 2023.
 
NORTHCOM ORDERS HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES AT U.S. BASES
 
Northern Command (NORTHCOM) ordered all U.S. bases in the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii to implement security measures including random vehicle inspections and 100% ID checks for persons entering military facilities. NORTHCOM also ordered the temporary suspension of the Trusted Traveler Program which allows Defense civilian employees and service members to escort guests onto facilities without a background check.
 
CYBERWARFARE
 
**Iran-linked hackers escalate spear-phishing targeting critical infrastructure** -
 
Iranian-linked cyber actors, including the IRGC and affiliated hacktivist groups, have intensified spear-phishing campaigns that can escalate into attacks on critical infrastructure. These operations exploit personal data collected over the past decade and use tactics like fake emails, trojanized apps, and malicious links, including Google Meet links that capture photos, audio, and location. Targets include Israeli officials, dissidents, diplomats, Gulf states, and companies linked to the U.S. Groups such as Team 313, DieNet, and Fad Team have claimed responsibility. Regional authorities, supported by intelligence-sharing platforms like Crystal Ball, have largely prevented breaches. Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war improved coordination and defense against cyberattacks. Disinformation campaigns using AI, deepfakes, and large language models remain a threat, potentially radicalizing individuals and sparking physical attacks.
 
MDM (MIS-DIS-MALINFORMATION)
 
**Misinformation Surges After U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran** -
 
Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, pro-Tehran social media accounts have circulated misleading content, including fake videos claiming to show damage to the USS Abraham Lincoln and alleged Iranian retaliatory attacks in Israel. Other posts misrepresented footage from unrelated events as evidence of regional strikes. In Dubai, debris from attacks sparked fabricated online reviews of the Palm Hotel, amplifying public panic. Meanwhile, AI-generated images circulated after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, despite no official photographs of his body being released. Analysts warn that such disinformation campaigns aim to manipulate public perception, inflame tensions, and distort the facts of ongoing military operations.
 
**NOTE:** Welcome to the world of asymmetric warfare, where one Tweet can ruin, distort or obscure the truth....such is the fog of war.
 
Pray.
 
Train.
 
Stay informed.
 
Be vigilant.
 
 
—END REPORT