I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
Senate Advances Measure to Limit Trump’s Iran War Powers for the First Time as House GOP Cancels Similar Vote. On May 19, the Senate voted 50-47 to advance a War Powers resolution that would halt US military operations against Iran without congressional authorization, the eighth such effort since the war began. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined Democrats in advancing the measure, along with Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Rand Paul (R-KY). Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only Democrat to oppose it.
Three Republicans were absent that day; had they been present and maintained their support for the war, the measure would have failed. Even if such a resolution passes, President Donald Trump can still veto it.
On May 21, the House canceled a vote on a similar Iran War Powers resolution after Republicans reportedly struggled to secure enough votes to defeat it. In a statement, House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said that “Republicans pulled this vote because they knew they were going to lose it.” The previous vote ended in a 212-212 tie, although Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), the only Democrat to oppose the resolution, later said that he would vote yes on a future such measure.
Sanders Introduces Bill to “Abolish” Super PACs. On May 20, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced S.4602, which would cap individual contributions to super political action committees (Super PACs), at $5,000. In a statement, Sanders referenced several Super PACs, including those aligned with AIPAC. Currently, Super PACs may accept unlimited contributions from any non-foreign source and spend unlimited amounts to influence the outcome of federal elections.
House Bill Would Prohibit Funding for UNIFIL. On May 22, Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) introduced H.R.9020, which would prohibit US funding for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon beginning on October 1, 2027. The UN Security Council has already voted to terminate UNIFIL’s mission in the course of 2027.
2) Personnel
Senate Republicans Urge Trump to “Dismantle UNRWA.” On May 18, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), joined by 24 other Senate Republicans, sent a letter to President Trump urging his administration to work with the United Nations to dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and eliminate its UN funding.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Says He Called Off Planned Iran Strike at Request of Gulf Allies. On May 18, President Trump said that he had planned a military strike on Iran for May 19 but decided to hold off to give negotiations another chance. He said that the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia had asked him to delay the attack because they believed a deal could be reached that would be “very acceptable” to the United States and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. On May 19, Trump said that Iran was “begging” to make a deal and warned that the United States could launch further strikes if an agreement was not reached.
Trump Says Netanyahu Will Do “Whatever I Want” on Iran. On May 19, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held a “tense” call on Iran. According to Axios, Trump briefed Netanyahu on new mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan, with input from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, to secure a deal between the United States and Iran. The proposal would reportedly have Washington and Tehran sign a “letter of intent” ending the war and launching 30 days of negotiations on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and on limiting Iran’s nuclear program.
Axios reported that the two leaders disagreed on the proposal, with Netanyahu skeptical of the framework and favoring continued military pressure on Iran, including strikes on the country’s critical infrastructure.
The next day, Trump told reporters that Netanyahu would do “whatever I want him to do” on Iran. Asked whether he would support a limited deal focused only on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and extending the ceasefire, Trump said that he was in no rush to reach an agreement. Hours earlier, however, he had said that the war would end “very quickly.”
United States Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran as Talks to End War Continue. On May 23, President Trump said that a deal to end the war with Iran had been “largely negotiated” following calls with leaders of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE, and separately with Israel. He added that the final details would be announced shortly. The deal reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and a plan for further talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
The next day, Trump said that negotiations were proceeding but that “both sides must take their time and get it right.” He added that any deal would be “a good and proper one” while criticizing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated under former President Barack Obama. Lawmakers, including some of Trump’s closest allies such as Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), criticized the emerging deal and pressed for a harder line against Iran.
On May 25, Trump said that the talks were going “nicely” but once again warned of fresh attacks if they failed. That same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi that there was “a pretty solid thing on the table” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin time-limited negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Rubio added that the United States would “give diplomacy every chance to succeed” before considering whether to deal with Iran in another way.
On the same day, Trump said that Iran’s enriched uranium “will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed” or “destroyed in place” in Iran or another acceptable location, adding that the Atomic Energy Commission “or its equivalent” should help oversee the process.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM announced that it had conducted “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran.
Trump Ties Iran Deal to Expansion of Abraham Accords. On May 25, President Trump said that he was “mandatorily requesting” that several countries—including Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey—sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel as part of the deal to end the war with Iran. (Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994, respectively.)
2) Department of State
Rubio Speaks with UN Secretary-General. On May 19, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss US efforts to stop Iran’s “unlawful mining and tolling of the Strait of Hormuz,” including a draft UN Security Council resolution presented by the United States and Bahrain with support from other Gulf partners.
United States Threatens to Revoke Palestinian UN Ambassador’s Visa. National Public Radio reported that according to a May 19 Department of State cable, the United States threatened to revoke the visas of the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations (UN) unless Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour withdraws his bid for vice president of the UN General Assembly. The cable stated that Mansour “has a history of accusing Israel of genocide” and argued that his candidacy “fuels tension” and undermines President Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Rubio Speaks with British Foreign Secretary. On May 21, Secretary Rubio spoke with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss Iran and efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio Meets with Turkish Foreign Minister. On May 22, Secretary Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to discuss regional stability, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, and increased defense spending to strengthen capabilities and expand defense production.
Rubio Condemns Hezbollah’s Call to Overthrow Lebanese Government. On May 24, Secretary Rubio, in a statement, condemned what he alleged was Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government,” accusing the group of trying to drag Lebanon “back into chaos” by continuing attacks against Israel and by undermining Lebanon’s stability.
United States Regrets Failure to Reach NPT Consensus. On May 24, the Department of State expressed regret that states party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty failed to reach consensus on a final document at the 2026 Review Conference, criticizing some states for failing to take Iran’s nuclear noncompliance and its “escalating nuclear activities” seriously.
3) Department of War
US Forces Seize and Board Iran-Linked Oil Tankers. On May 19, the Wall Street Journal reported that US forces seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. The vessel had been under US sanctions since March 2026 and was believed to have loaded more than one million barrels of crude at Iran’s Kharg Island in February 2026.
On May 20, CENTCOM announced that US Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman suspected of violating the US naval blockade on Iran.
United States Reportedly Used More Interceptors Defending Israel Than Israel Did During Iran War. On May 21, the Washington Post reported that the United States used more than half of its inventory of THAAD interceptors defending Israel from Iranian missile attacks during the war. The report added that the United States likely would use even more interceptors for Israel’s defense if fighting with Iran resumes because Israel recently sent some of its missile defense batteries for maintenance.
4) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Targets Iranian Financial Network and Oil Shipments. On May 19, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned an Iranian foreign currency exchange house and associated front companies, as well as 19 vessels involved in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical shipments to foreign customers that had generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian regime.
Treasury Sanctions Four Individuals Linked to Gaza Flotilla. On May 19, OFAC sanctioned four individuals associated with the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to break Israel’s siege and deliver aid to Gaza, accusing them of enabling “Hamas to sustain its terrorist operations.” The sanctions target a current and a former representative of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad and two others from the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. OFAC also sanctioned several individuals and entities it accused of operating “within Hamas-aligned Muslim Brotherhood networks.”
Treasury Removes UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese From Sanctions List. On May 20, OFAC removed UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese from its list of sanctioned individuals. The removal came a week after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to block the sanctions, ruling that the Trump administration likely violated her free speech rights. The administration announced in July 2025 that it was sanctioning Albanese, an Italian national, over her criticism of Israel’s military actions and her support for International Criminal Court investigations of Israeli and US individuals and corporations.
On May 2, however, a US appeals court ruled that the Trump administration can reinstate sanctions against Albanese while the court considers the administration’s emergency motion challenging the lower court’s injunction.
Treasury Sanctions Nine in Lebanon Over Hezbollah Ties. On May 21, OFAC sanctioned nine individuals in Lebanon, including members of parliament, the Iranian ambassador-designate to Lebanon, and Lebanese security officials, accusing them of “obstructing the peace process in Lebanon and impeding the disarmament of [Hezbollah].”
