I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
Flurry of New Legislation Targets Iran.
- On March 26, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) introduced 1136 and H.R.2394, which would enhance criminal sentences for offenses directed by foreign governments, namely Iran.
- On March 31, Rep. William Keating (D-MA) introduced R.2505, which would require the US government to develop strategies to prevent the export of technologies related to unmanned aircraft systems to Iran.
- On April 1, Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) introduced R.2570, which would impose additional sanctions on Iran. On the same say, Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced H.R.2574 and H.R.2575, which would sanction Iraq’s importation of Iranian natural gas and freeze Iranian-sanctioned assets and prohibit the President from lifting sanctions. And Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced H.R.2581, which would require the Department of State to designate 29 Iranian-backed groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, as well as any foreign entity controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- On April 2, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced R.2614, which would require an interagency strategy to support internet freedom and to counter censorship efforts in Iran; direct the confiscation of Iranian government assets in Iran; and designate the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
- On April 3, Representative Wilson introduced R.2658, which would require an interagency strategy to limit Iran’s influence in Iraq.
House Bill Proposes Boosting US-Israel-Greece-Cyprus Security Ties. On March 31, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) introduced H.R.2510, which would enhance counterterrorism and maritime security cooperation and training within the “3+1” alliance among the United States, Cyprus, Greece, and Israel.
Reps. Jayapal and Omar Lead House Efforts to Block Military Sales to Israel. On March 31, Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced joint resolutions of disapproval (H.J.Res.83, H.J.Res.84, H.J.Res.85, H.J.Res.86) to block proposed foreign military sales to Israel.
Bipartisan Bill Looks to Strengthen Abraham Accords. On April 2, Reps. Brad Schneider (D-FL) and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) introduced H.R.2609, which would bolster the training of US diplomats on the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements with Israel.
Senate Tanks Legislation to Block Military Aid to Israel. On April 3, the Senate voted on two joint resolutions of disapproval (S.J.Res.26 and S.J.Res.33) offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would have blocked $8.8 billion in proposed military aid to Israel. Fourteen Democratic Senators joined in support of Sanders’s resolutions, a drop from the 19 who voted in favor of similar legislation last November.
Senate Bill Seeks Transparency in Higher Education Funding. On April 3, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced S.1296, which would require additional disclosures by US colleges and universities of foreign funding relationships. The proposed legislation is a Senate version of the House-passed “DETERRENT Act.”
2) Personnel and Correspondence
Lawmakers Warn UN Against Anti-Israel Actions. On March 31, House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HFAC) Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning against establishing special investigatory powers to target Israel. On the same day, Mast urged the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) to reject Francesca Albanese’s reappointment as special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories. (On April 5, the UN HRC reconfirmed Albanese to remain in her role through 2028.)
Lawmakers Demand Answers from Five Colleges and Universities on Protests. On March 31, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), chairpersons of the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, respectively, sent letters to five colleges and universities (Barnard, Bowdoin, Pomona, Sarah Lawrence Colleges, and Northwestern University), demanding answers on alleged anti-Semitic activity on campus.
Huckabee Nomination for Israel Ambassadorship Passes Out of Committee. On April 2, SFRC Chairman Risch (R-ID) announced that the committee approved Mike Huckabee’s nomination for US Ambassador to Israel, lining up a vote on the Senate floor.
3) Hearings and Briefings
HFAC Holds Hearing on Iran. On April 1, HFAC held a subcommittee hearing on Iran, featuring expert witnesses discussing the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure policy” and potential US responses to Iran’s nuclear program.
SFRC Holds Hearing for Ambassador to Turkey. On April 1, the SFRC held a hearing for consideration of Thomas Barrack to be US Ambassador to Turkey. Republicans and Democrats on the committee outlined concerns about Turkey’s human rights record, the recent crackdown on protestors, its role in Syria, and its ties with Russia and Hamas.
Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on Africa Command. On April 3, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on AFRICOM’s force posture and defense authorization request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Featuring testimony from AFRICOM Commander Gen. Michael E. Langley, the hearing addressed threats posed by the so-called Islamic State in Somalia, the security situation in Libya, and support for Tunisia and Morocco, among other regional issues.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Says Houthis Have Been Decimated. On March 31, President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the Houthis “have been decimated” and that US strikes “will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation.”
Trump Confirms Trip to Gulf Region. On March 31, President Trump confirmed that he will be traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and elsewhere in the region for his first foreign trip of his second term, reportedly in mid-May. “Tremendous amount of jobs will be created as a result of this trip,” Trump asserted.
Administration Announces Comprehensive Review of Contracts with Harvard. On March 31, the heads of the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services and of the US General Services Administration announced that they were launching a review of $255.6 million in federal contracts and more than $8.7 billion in grant commitments to Harvard University.
Trump Speaks with Sisi. On April 1, President Trump spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about US strikes against the Houthis and the situation in Gaza.
2) Department of State
Deputy Secretary Speaks with UAE Assistant Foreign Minister. On March 28, Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Christopher Landau spoke with UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh about the Abraham Accords, regional security, and economic cooperation.
Department Comments on Syria, Gaza, and Northern Iraq. On March 31, Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the Trump administration is hopeful that the Syrian government’s announcement of a transitional cabinet “represents a positive step for an inclusive and representative Syria.” Bruce stated that Syria must suppress terrorism, exclude foreign fighters from official roles, curb Iranian influence, destroy Assad’s chemical weapons, assist in the search of disappeared persons, and ensure the protection of religious and ethnic minorities, adding that any changes to US sanctions policy will be contingent on progress toward these issues. Addressing Israel’s reported killing of 15 paramedics in Gaza, Bruce said that the Trump administration “expect[s] all parties on the ground to comply with humanitarian law” and that “every single thing that is happening in Gaza is happening because of Hamas.” Bruce also addressed the planned opening this spring of a new, larger US Consulate General facility in Erbil, Iraq, saying that it “reflects the United States’ commitment to the Iraqi Kurdistan region.”
Secretary Rubio Orders Department to ‘Scour’ Some Visa Applicants’ Social Media. On April 1, the New York Times reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered US diplomats to scan the social media of some US visa applicants. According to the report, Rubio specified that applicants who should be subjected to this extra scrutiny include “someone who is suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathies; who had a student or exchange visa between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024; or who has had a visa terminated since that October date.”
Secretary Rubio Meets with Bahraini Foreign Minister. On April 2, Secretary Rubio met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani to discuss security and economic cooperation and the Abraham Accords. Al-Zayani also met with members of HFAC during his visit to Washington.
Department Approves Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait. On April 3, the Department of State approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait for the upgrade and recertification of PATRIOT Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $400 million.
3) Department of Defense
Military Enhances Force Posture in Region. On April 1, citing threats from Iran and Iranian-supported groups, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell announced changes to the US force posture. Parnell mentioned the direction of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to remain in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, the arrival of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, and the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets.
AFRICOM Conducts Airstrike in Somalia. On April 1, AFRICOM conducted strikes against the so-called Islamic State in Somalia, reportedly killing multiple enemy combatants.
4) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Announces New Sanctions on Iran. On April 1, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the Department of Justice, announced sanctions on a network responsible for procuring weapons parts for Iran. On April 2, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent led a meeting of global financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to address Iran’s access to the global financial system.
Treasury Sanctions Houthi Procurement Network. On April 2, OFAC sanctioned a network of Houthi financial facilitators and procurement operatives.
III. Judicial Branch
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Right to Sue the PA and PLO. On April 1, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments whether the 2019 Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, which relates to establishing US jurisdiction for victims of alleged terrorism by the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, is constitutional.
