The LOWDOWN

The LOWDOWN: China’s Shadow Moves, Russia’s War Calculus, Iran’s Nuclear Gambit, and North Korea’s Cyber Mercenaries – Aug 5–11, 2025

Joshua "HOTAS" Patten Season 2025

Stay ahead of the week’s most critical national security developments. In this episode of The LOWDOWN, we break down the latest from August 5–11, 2025 — with a sharp focus on China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

  • China: Political maneuvering, military activity, and strategic influence moves across the Indo-Pacific.
  • Russia: War updates, battlefield trends, and evolving diplomatic pressure over Ukraine.
  • Iran: Covert nuclear cooperation with Russia, alignment with China’s BeiDou system, currency collapse, and regional power plays.
  • North Korea: Expanding cyber “IT mercenary” operations worldwide, demographic challenges for South Korea, and growing ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Get the intelligence you need, organized by priority and free from fluff — a professional-grade OSINT briefing for military, intelligence, and strategic audiences.

📅 Episode date range: August 5–11, 2025
🎙 Your mission: Listen, learn, and stay operationally informed.

Thank you for listening to The LOWDOWN.