I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Bill Targets Muslims for Deportation and Denaturalization. On April 20, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced H.R.8387, which would deport, denaturalize, or deny US citizenship or entry to any non-citizen affiliated with or advocating for “socialism, communism, Marxism, or Islamic fundamentalism.”
House Bill to Repeal Joint Resolution Authorizing Aid for Middle East. On April 22, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) introduced H.R.8436, which would repeal H.J.Res.117, which authorizes the president to provide military or economic assistance to Middle Eastern countries upon request.
Barrett said that the bill “would revoke the outdated 1957 [Authorization for Use of Military Force] that is still on the books authorizing the president to use force to fight communism in the Middle East.”
Senate Rejects Iran War Powers Resolution for Fifth Time. On April 22, the Senate rejected, for the fifth time, a War Powers resolution, this one introduced by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to halt US military operations in Iran until congressional approval is granted. The measure failed in a 51–46 vote. Under the War Powers Act, the President can order a military operation without congressional approval, but only for a period of 60 days, which for the Iran war expires on May 1, 2026.
In the House, Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) between April 20-23 introduced War Powers resolutions on Iran.
House Subcommittee Advances FY27 National Security/Department of State Appropriations Bill. On April 22, the House Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill. The following day, the Subcommittee on National Security met to consider the subcommittee markup, which passed and will advance to full committee consideration this week.
Key Middle East-related provisions include:
- Providing $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel, of which $250.3 million is designated for procurement of defense articles and services in Israel, including research and development, and $6.5 million for refugee resettlement in Israel.
- Providing $1.425 billion in total aid to Egypt and $1.65 billion in total aid to Jordan.
- Prohibiting “funds for organizations who may have hired terrorists” involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks.
- Prohibiting funding for UNRWA, the UN Human Rights Council, and the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
- Barring assistance for a Palestinian state unless the Secretary of State certifies the governing entity is committed to peaceful coexistence with Israel and countering terrorism.
- Withholding 15 percent of US funding for the UN until it meets conditions, including “taking credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias.”
- Prohibiting funding for the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice; and
- Prohibiting funding “to support the admission and resettlement into the United States of a foreign national from Gaza.”
2) Personnel and Correspondence
House Democrats Demand Hegseth Investigate Kuwait Attack That Killed Six US Troops. On April 23, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) led 12 other House Democrats in a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth demanding an immediate investigation into force protection failures that led to the deaths of six US servicemembers in an Iranian attack on a US base in Kuwait on March 1, 2026.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Denies Israel Influenced Iran War Decision. On April 20, President Donald Trump pushed back against what he called “fake news,” insisting that Israel did not talk him into launching the war with Iran. He added that “the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” drove his decision.
Trump Says New Iran Deal Would Be Better Than JCPOA. On April 20, President Trump claimed that a deal his administration is seeking with Iran would be “FAR BETTER” than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under former President Barack Obama. He said that the JCPOA “was a guaranteed road to a nuclear weapon,” adding that such an outcome “will not, and cannot, happen with the deal we’re working on.” Trump also said that any agreement reached under his administration would “guarantee Peace, Security, and Safety” for Israel, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
On the same day, Trump said that the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue, claiming that it is costing Tehran $500 million in daily losses. He added that Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has led countries to send hundreds of ships to the United States to obtain oil.
Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran. On April 21, President Trump said in an interview with CNBC that the United States is “going to end up with a great deal” with Iran to end the war, while noting that he did not expect to extend a ceasefire due to expire the following day.
Later that day, however, Trump announced that the ceasefire would be extended “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” saying that the extension was made at the request of Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He added that he had directed the US military to continue the blockade.
The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan for a second round of peace negotiations was put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to US proposals, according to a US official.
Trump Orders US Military to “Shoot and Kill” Iranian Boats Laying Mines in Hormuz. On April 23, President Trump said that he had ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill” any small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The same day, the US military seized a tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling.
The move came a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked three cargo ships in the strait and captured two of them.
Trump Announces Three-Week Extension of Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire. On April 23, President Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon following a meeting with Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa. Trump also said that he plans to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House “in the near future.”
Speaking to reporters the same day, Trump said that any deal with Iran must include a provision barring Tehran from funding Hezbollah. He also said that the ceasefire does not prevent Israel from striking in Lebanon in “self-defense” and called for the repeal of Lebanese legislation that prohibits contact with Israelis.
Trump Calls Off Aides’ Trip for Iran Talks. On April 25, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he had called off a planned trip to Islamabad, Pakistan, by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, citing what he described as “tremendous…confusion” in Iran’s leadership. Trump also said that “we have all the cards” and that “If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” The decision came after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad, where he had been holding talks with Pakistani officials.
2) Department of State
State, Justice Convene Counterterrorism Forum Targeting Iran-Linked Activities. On April 20, the Department of State released a statement on the fifth meeting of the Countering Transnational Terrorism Forum, held April 14–15 and convened by the Department of State and the Department of Justice. The meeting gathered 35 governments to coordinate strategies for countering activities by the IRGC, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and their proxies, including through visa screening, prosecutions, and sanctions.
Legal Opinion Says US Iran War Was “Undertaken…At Request” of Israel. On April 21, the Department of State published a legal opinion arguing that in launching Operation Epic Fury, the United States is “acting well within the recognized contours of international law relating to the use of force and self-defense.” Legal Adviser Reed Rubinstein also argued that the US military operations against Iran were undertaken, in part, “at the request of and in the collective self-defense of its Israeli ally,” a framing that contradicts statements by Trump administration officials who have denied that Israel pushed the United States into war with Iran. The opinion also argues that the US military campaign is part of an ongoing, long-term international armed conflict with Iran that predates US combat operations.
Barrack Doubles Down on Israel-Hezbollah Comparison. On April 22, Fox News reported that US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack doubled down on his April 17 remarks equating Israel with Hezbollah, in which he said that “everybody [in Lebanon] has been equally untrustworthy,” adding that he was “simply stating the obvious reality on the ground.”
Deputy Secretary Landau Meets with German Counterpart. On April 23, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with German State Secretary Géza von Geyr to discuss global issues, including the Persian Gulf.
Department Welcomes Jordan’s Signing of Artemis Accords. On April 23, the Department of State welcomed Jordan’s signing of the Artemis Accords, a set of principles guiding international cooperation in peaceful space exploration.
Rubio Speaks with Italian Foreign Minister. On April 24, Secretary Rubio spoke with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to discuss regional issues, including maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to achieve peace between Israel and Lebanon.
Deputy Secretary Landau Travels to Algeria and Morocco. From April 27 to May 1, Deputy Secretary of State Landau will travel to Algeria and Morocco. In Algeria, he will discuss bilateral relations, regional security, and commercial ties with US companies, and in Morocco, he will discuss technological and space cooperation and the security partnership.
3) Department of War
United States Has Turned Back 27 Ships Since Hormuz Blockade Began. On April 20, CENTCOM announced that US forces had turned back 27 ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports as part of its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
AFRICOM Conducts More Strikes in Somalia. On April 20, US forces conducted airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Somalia. On April 21, US forces conducted an airstrike against al-Shabab in Somalia.
4) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Targets Iranian Missile and UAV Procurement Networks. On April 21, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 14 individuals, entities, and aircraft based in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it said were involved in procuring or transporting weapons on behalf of the Iranian regime.
Bessent Backs Potential Currency Swap for UAE. On April 22, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent told a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Department of the Treasury’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget that several US allies in the Persian Gulf have requested currency swap lines amid economic turbulence from the Iran war. Bessent said that swap lines are meant “to maintain order in the dollar funding markets and to prevent the sale of the US assets in a disorderly way,” adding that such a move would benefit both the UAE and the United States.
Treasury Targets Network Supporting Iran’s Oil Trade and Shadow Fleet. On April 24, OFAC sanctioned an independent Chinese refinery and some 40 shipping firms and vessels operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, which it said helps sustain Iran’s oil economy.
5) Department of Homeland Security
Green Card Applicants Face New Scrutiny Over Pro-Palestine Views. On April 25, the New York Times reported, citing internal Department of Homeland Security materials, that new Trump administration guidance allows immigration officials to deny green cards based on applicants’ political views, describing participation in pro-Palestinian protests or social media posts critical of Israel as “overwhelmingly negative factors.”
