This is the Intelligence Feed.
Dispatch Washington · June 12, 2026 As the conflict with Iran continues to suppress oil-tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, multiple governments are approaching the Trump administration with proposals to position themselves as alternative energy suppliers, seeking political endorsement and access to U.S. financing in return. The outreach spans two continents and involves both…
Dispatch Washington · June 9, 2026 France on June 9 barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, joining a coordinated sanctions package that France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway announced jointly against West Bank settlers and the organizations that finance them [1][2]. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced…
Dispatch Washington · June 9, 2026 The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency plans to release a binding operational directive on June 10 that will require federal civilian agencies to shift from speed-driven patch application toward risk-weighted vulnerability management, Acting Director Nick Andersen announced June 9 at the Axonius Adapt in Action conference in Washington, D.C…
Dispatch Washington · June 9, 2026 The European Commission on June 9 proposed a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, targeting the country's financial sector, shadow fleet operations, energy exports, and military supply chains, in what officials framed as a direct response to both the continuing war in Ukraine and a new energy market disruption…
Dispatch Washington · June 9, 2026 U.S. Central Command launched "self-defense strikes" against Iran on Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump publicly accused Tehran of downing a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter patrolling the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM stated that its forces began striking Iran at 5 p.m. ET at the direction of the Commander…
Dispatch Washington · June 9, 2026 President Donald Trump's selection of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence has sharpened a long-running debate on Capitol Hill over whether the Office of the Director of National Intelligence should continue to exist, elevating abolition from a fringe position to a topic of active discussion among senior…
Dispatch Washington · June 8, 2026 Marc Polymeropoulos, a 26-year CIA veteran who became one of the first U.S. officials to speak publicly about Anomalous Health Incidents, is calling on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to declassify a revised intelligence assessment on AHI before she leaves office [POLITICO][1][2]. Polymeropoulos, who retired from the CIA…
Dispatch Washington · June 8, 2026 Germany's government publicly declared June 8 that European powers are prepared to assume the leading role in negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine, explicitly framing the shift as a continuation of a mediation effort that Washington has largely deprioritized. The statement followed a June 7 meeting at 10…
Dispatch Washington · June 8, 2026 Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on June 8 for a two-day state visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his first trip to the country in seven years [1][2]. The visit comes weeks after Xi separately hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump…
Dispatch Washington · June 8, 2026 A months-long investigation by POLITICO has documented a coordinated effort by energy investors, a disgraced former congressman, and a network of political consultants to steer the Trump administration away from maximum-pressure sanctions on Venezuela, an effort that collapsed as Secretary of State Marco Rubio consolidated control over Latin America…