I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
Bipartisan Bill Would Expedite Transfer of Seized Iranian Arms. On August 1, Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced S.2642, which would speed up the transfer to US partners of Iranian weapons seized by the United States in transit to the Houthis and other such groups.
Senate Dems Target West Bank Settler Violence. On August 1, Sens. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) reintroduced S.2672, which seeks to codify a Biden administration executive order authorizing sanctions against individuals in the West Bank involved in violence against, as well as civilian displacement and property destruction of, Palestinians. On the same day, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced S.2667, which would sanction individuals who have perpetrated violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) had introduced companion legislation (H.R.3045) in the House in April 2025.
House Bill Would Prohibit Gifts from Countries of Concern. On August 5, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced H.R.4902 to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit universities from receiving gifts from or entering contracts with “foreign countries of concern.” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) previously introduced companion legislation (S.1738) to the Senate in May.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
House Speaker Declares West Bank ‘Rightful Property’ of Israel. On August 4, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), reportedly the highest-ranking US official ever to visit an Israeli settlement, traveled to the Ariel settlement in the occupied West Bank, where he was joined by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) for a meeting with Minister of Defense Israel Katz. During the visit, Johnson was quoted as saying, “The mountains of Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] are the rightful property of the Jewish people.”
Also during the week, House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-AR) led the committee’s first bipartisan delegation to Israel, joined by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX). The delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad Director David Barnea, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli military and Palestinian Authority officials, and visited an aid distribution site near the Gaza border.
House Members Urge Rubio to Block F-35 Sales to Turkey. On August 7, Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) led a bipartisan group of 40 House members in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Department of State to maintain the US ban on exporting F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The legislators insisted that Turkey’s continued use of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems would unnecessarily expose a “cornerstone of US aerial superiority” to hostile intelligence.
Senate Democrats Oppose Netanyahu’s Plan to Occupy Gaza City. On August 9, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) issued a statement opposing Israel’s plans for expanded control over the Gaza Strip, calling it a “dangerous” move that would worsen the humanitarian crisis. They called for an immediate ceasefire, renewed negotiations, and progress toward a two-state solution.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Says Gaza Re-Occupation Is “Up to Israel.” On August 4, Axios reported that President Donald Trump met with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House to discuss expanding US-funded humanitarian aid to Gaza. The following day, President Trump declined to say whether or not he supported a potential Israeli re-occupation of Gaza, saying, “that’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.” Also on August 5, Ambassador Huckabee said there is “possibly starvation” in Gaza and accused Hamas of stealing aid. The next day, he told Fox News that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) would “scale up” its distribution sites.
On August 10, President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza “to bring about the end of the war, the release of the hostages, and the defeat of Hamas.”
Syria Envoy Praises Investment Agreements in Syria, Urges Diplomacy Amid Clashes. On August 4, US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve violence that erupted in al-Suwayda and Manbij, Syria, on the previous day. The following day, Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce reaffirmed US support for inclusive governance and continued talks between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government. On August 6, Barrack attended a signing ceremony in Damascus, at which the Syrian government signed agreements worth $14 billion with regional and international companies for 12 investment projects, including significant expansions to airport and other transportation infrastructure. Barrack praised the deal as a major step toward post-conflict recovery and regional reintegration in Syria following President Trump’s May 2025 decision to lift US sanctions on the country.
US Convenes Meeting Between UN and GHF. On August 6, media outlets reported that the United States facilitated the first meeting between the United Nations and GHF since it began operations in May 2025. Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Morgan Ortagus, GHF chair Johnnie Moore, and UN aid officials attended the meeting, which, according to Axios, resulted only in an agreement to “de-escalate public attacks in the media against each other.”
US Proposal Seeks Hezbollah Disarmament by Year-End. On August 7, Reuters reported that the United States has presented Lebanon with a proposal from Special Envoy Barrack calling for Hezbollah’s full disarmament by the end of the year, an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from five positions in southern Lebanon.
Trump Urges All Middle East Countries to Join Abraham Accords. On August 7, President Trump said on Truth Social that peace in the Middle East would be ensured if “all Middle Eastern Countries join the Abraham Accords.”
2) Department of State
Rubio Discusses Gaza, Iran, and Sudan with European Counterparts. On August 4, Secretary Rubio spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The calls covered the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, efforts to reach a ceasefire, deterring Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the conflict in Sudan. On August 6, Rubio said that the United States is focused on addressing the humanitarian crisis, securing the release of all hostages, and ensuring Hamas is “disarmed and disbanded.”
3) Department of Defense
CENTCOM Commander Ends Regional Tour. From July 20-August 2, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla traveled to the Middle East, meeting with senior military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Secretary Hegseth Speaks with Saudi Defense Minister. On August 6, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke with Saudi Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman about regional security and defense cooperation in furtherance of the $142 billion Foreign Military Sales Memoranda of Intent signed by President Trump in May 2025.
Cooper Assumes CENTCOM Command. On August 8, Adm. Brad Cooper assumed leadership of US Central Command, succeeding Gen. Kurilla. Cooper had served as the command’s deputy commander since February 2024.
4) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Sanctions Iranian Sanctions Evasion Network. On August 7, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 18 entities and individuals accused of helping Iran to generate revenue and to evade US sanctions.
House Republicans Urge Treasury to Investigate Irish Israel Boycott Bill. On August 7, Rep. Tenney led 15 other House Republicans in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent urging an investigation into Ireland’s proposed boycott of Israel, saying that “the United States must send a clear signal that efforts to economically isolate Israel will carry consequences.”
