I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Bill Would Impose Sanctions on Houthis. On September 14, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) introduced H.R.10354, which would impose targeted sanctions on the Houthis and their supporters while supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against the group.
Senate Resolution Would Request Information on Israel’s Human Rights Practices. On September 14, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced S.Res.852, a resolution requesting information on Israel’s human rights practices under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. If passed, the resolution would require the Department of State to report to Congress on increasing Israeli settler and military violence in the occupied West Bank, with information related to investigations of the killings of US citizens and the detention of Palestinian children.
House Passes Third Iran War Powers Resolution. On September 15, the House passed H.Con.Res.93, an Iran war powers resolution that would halt US military operations against Iran conducted without congressional authorization. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), passed 220-204, with seven Republicans joining Democrats, including three voting in favor for the first time.
The same day, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced another Iran war powers resolution.
Lawmakers Move to Block US-Saudi Nuclear and Arms Deals. On September 16, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) introduced H.J.Res.217, a joint resolution of disapproval (JRD) of the proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. The Trump administration signed the agreement, known as a 123 agreement, with Saudi Arabia in July and submitted it to Congress for review in August. Meeks and the resolution’s Democratic cosponsors criticized the agreement for not barring Saudi Arabia from uranium enrichment and reprocessing and for not requiring additional International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, arguing that it departed from US nonproliferation standards.
The same day, Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led 16 other senators in a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, calling on them to declassify and publicly release the two classified “side letters” accompanying the agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Also on September 16, Sen. Markey—with Sens. Merkley and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as cosponsors—introduced S.J.Res.216, a JRD seeking to block the administration’s proposed conventional weapons sale to Saudi Arabia, which includes thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munitions and five thousand 2,000-pound bombs.
Senate Democrats Introduce Oman War Powers Resolution. On September 16, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA)—with Adam Schiff (D-CA) as cosponsor—introduced S.J.Res.215, a war powers resolution that would prohibit US forces from engaging in hostilities in or against Oman. The resolution followed President Donald Trump’s August 2026 threat to bomb Oman as it worked with Iran on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
HFAC Ranking Member Places Hold on Planned $2.8 Billion Bomb Sale to Israel. On September 16, HFAC Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) announced that he would not clear the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, citing concerns that the weapons could be used in violation of US and international law, particularly in densely populated areas in Gaza and Lebanon.
Meeks’s hold may not prevent the sale from proceeding. Once the sale is formally notified to Congress, Secretary Rubio could invoke emergency authority to bypass the normal congressional review process, as he did in 2025 to approve nearly $3 billion in arms sales to Israel. In January 2026, the administration also approved a further $6.67 billion in arms sales to Israel.
Trump Signs Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill into Law. On September 18, President Trump signed into law H.R.5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The law authorizes Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas and extends existing sanctions on Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
Senate Democrats Seek Accounting of Iran War Costs. On September 17, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) led 45 other senators—nearly the entire Democratic caucus—in a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth requesting a full accounting of the Iran war’s costs.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Touts Weapons Production as Reports Detail Iran War Strain. On September 14, President Trump said that the United States was producing weapons at record levels and delivering them daily to US forces in the Middle East, with production focused on Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and Tomahawk missile systems.
The same day, the Department of War’s Office of Inspector General reported that the Iran war had caused munitions shortfalls and more than $208 million in damage to Department of State facilities and construction projects in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The following day, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the war had cost the Department of War around $38 billion and estimated that continued operations would cost an additional $2 to $3 billion per month. The CBO also found that the war left the US stockpile of defensive missiles significantly depleted and that it could take at least five years to rebuild.
Vance Says United States in Direct Talks with Houthis Amid Regional Escalation. On September 14, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that the United States was in direct talks with the Houthis and in constant contact with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, adding that Washington was “on top of” the escalating situation in the region. A member of the Houthis’ political bureau, however, denied that the two sides were in direct contact.
Trump Weighs Further Escalation Against Iran Ahead of UN General Assembly. On September 20, President Trump told Fox News that he was deciding whether to further escalate the war with Iran and said that Tehran could make a deal, “rot economically,” or be wiped out.
The comments came as the Trump administration approved visas for a “core delegation” of Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
2) Department of State
Rubio Speaks with Omani Foreign Minister. On September 15, Secretary Rubio spoke with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi about regional de-escalation, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and US–Oman relations.
Rubio Speaks with Syrian Foreign Minister. On September 15, Secretary Rubio spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani about regional security, expanding US–Syria cooperation, minority integration, and Syria’s progress with the IAEA.
Trump Administration Extends Visa Restrictions on Palestinian Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly. On September 16, the Department of State announced that it would extend visa restrictions on Palestine Liberation Organization members and Palestinian Authority officials, citing their efforts to “internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian” conflict, including through the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice. For the second consecutive year, these restrictions deny Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials visas to attend the UN General Assembly.
State Department Approves Possible F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia. On September 17, the Department of State approved a proposed $24.3 billion foreign military sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and related equipment to Saudi Arabia. If the proposed sale proceeds, Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab country, and the second country in the Middle East after Israel, to operate the F-35.
The Department said that the sale would “not alter the military balance in the region” and would be consistent with longstanding US policy that Israel maintain a qualitative military edge over potential regional adversaries.
Rubio Discusses Strait of Hormuz with South Korean Foreign Minister. On September 18, Secretary Rubio met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and emphasized cooperation to secure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
3) Department of War
CENTCOM Commander Meets with Saudi Crown Prince. On September 14, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah to discuss regional developments. The meeting followed reports that the crown prince had sought US military assistance against the Houthis.
AFRICOM Conducts Strikes in Somalia. On September 14 and 17, US forces conducted airstrikes against al-Shabab in Somalia.
CENTCOM Launches Joint Exercise with Jordanian Armed Forces. On September 15, CENTCOM launched Eager Lion 2026, a two-week US-Jordan military exercise focused on counterterrorism, air defense, maritime security, cyber operations, and disaster response.
4) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Sanctions Russia’s VTB Bank and Iranian Cryptocurrency Network. On September 14, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed additional sanctions on VTB Bank, one of Russia’s largest banks, for allegedly helping Iran move frozen assets and facilitate trade between the two countries. The Treasury also warned that foreign financial institutions that continue doing business with VTB could face secondary sanctions.
On September 17, OFAC sanctioned Iranian cryptocurrency exchange BitBank, its developer, and three associates of sanctioned financier Babak Zanjani. The Treasury said that the network helped Iran evade sanctions, including by transferring hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The sanctions were the latest actions under the Trump administration’s Operation Economic Outcast initiative, which aims to further isolate Iran economically.
