Morning Brief: UPS and FedEx Ground MD-11 Fleets, Iran Plot to Kill Israeli Envoy Exposed, US Backs EU Plan to Tap Frozen Assets

Iran’s Failed Plot to Kill Israeli Envoy in Mexico Exposed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tried to orchestrate the assassination of Israel’s ambassador to Mexico late last year, a US official confirmed Friday. The plan, which remained active into mid-2025, was disrupted before reaching execution. Authorities say there is no current threat. The target was Ambassador Einat Kranz Neiger. Details on how the plot was contained remain classified, but Washington described it as part of a global pattern—Tehran’s long campaign of targeting diplomats, dissidents, and journalists abroad. “This is just the latest in a long history of Iran’s global lethal targeting,” the US official said. Mexico’s government said it had no record of an attack plan. Still, Israel’s Foreign Ministry publicly thanked Mexican security services for stopping “a terrorist network directed by Iran.” The Iranian Embassy in Mexico called the allegations “entirely false,” insisting it respects Mexican law and considers the country a friend. Western intelligence agencies have tracked a surge in Iranian covert operations across Europe and beyond. Britain and Sweden warned last year that Tehran was using criminal proxies to strike at opponents, and London alone says it has foiled 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022. MI5’s chief described Iran as “frantically” working to silence critics overseas. Israel remains high on Tehran’s target list. Tensions spiked in June after Israeli and US strikes hit Iranian nuclear sites, fueling the latest cycle of confrontation. The Mexico plot shows how far that fight has spread and how many countries now find themselves in the middle of it.   JUST IN 🔴 The IRGC planned to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, but the plot was foiled last summer by Mexican security services, according to U.S. and Israeli officials – Axios pic.twitter.com/7YH1D7uYj3 — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 7, 2025   Ukraine Hits Deep Inside Russia as US Backs EU Plan to Tap Frozen Assets Ukrainian drones struck deep inside Russia overnight, hitting an electricity substation in the Vologda region and a residential building in Saratov. The attacks came as the United States backed a European Union (EU) plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed a new commander to strengthen drone air defenses. Three drones hit the substation in Vologda, a region north of Moscow nearly 1,900 km (1,180 miles) from Ukraine. Governor Georgy Filimonov said the site was damaged but power supplies were stable. The strike marked one of the northernmost Ukrainian attacks since the war began. In Saratov, a drone hit a residential building, wounding two civilians. The city, a frequent target since 2022, sits 625 km (388 miles) from the Ukrainian border and hosts key industrial and military sites. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 83 drones overnight, mostly near border regions. 2/ Russian forces advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area and near Lyman, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Hulyaipole. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 7, 2025: https://t.co/sRDFllrDns pic.twitter.com/g5d7Q9Upk7 — Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) November 8, 2025 In Washington, a senior official said the United States “fully supports” the EU’s effort to channel about 185 billion euros ($217 billion) of frozen Russian assets into aid for Kyiv. Most of the 210 billion euros immobilized in Europe is held in Belgium, where legal concerns have slowed approval. Germany linked recent drone sightings over Belgian airports and bases to Russian intimidation, though Moscow denied involvement and warned of a “painful response” if its assets are seized. The push comes alongside new US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s top oil firms, as Washington looks to tighten economic pressure and force Moscow toward talks. Back in Kyiv, Zelenskyy named Yuri Cherevashenko to lead Ukraine’s drone air defense forces, underscoring a shift toward faster and more adaptive protection against Russian aerial attacks. Cherevashenko helped establish the country’s first mobile air defense brigades and develop interceptor drone systems. Zelenskyy said the new command will focus on building interceptor capability and deploying layered defenses, a priority outlined by top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi earlier this year. The overnight strikes, new sanctions, and defense shake-up point to a widening battlefield—one fought in the skies, in financial systems, and through technology. Ukraine’s reach inside Russia is growing as its allies look for new ways to drain the Kremlin’s war resources and sustain Kyiv’s defenses.   The United States fully backs the European Union using frozen Russian assets as a tool to support Ukraine and end the war with Russia, a US source familiar with the situation told Reuters https://t.co/UEFQy5zpeH — Reuters (@Reuters) November 7, 2025   Sources: News Agencies