I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Passes “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act.” On December 1, the House of Representatives passed H.R.176, which amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit “anyone” associated “in any capacity” with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas from entering the United States; and, if such individuals are found to be present in the United States, the legislation would prohibit them from receiving immigration benefits and require their immediate removal from the country.
House and Senate Bills Seek to Expand Internet Freedom in Iran. On December 4, Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Dave Min (D-CA) introduced H.R.6469, which would “expand internet freedom” in Iran by requiring the Department of State, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of emerging secure communications technologies for use in Iran. Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced companion legislation (S.3360) in the Senate.
Senate Resolution Condemns Anti-Palestinian Hate. On December 4, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced S.Res.529, a resolution condemning anti-Palestinian hatred and violence. The resolution was announced on the second anniversary of a Vermont shooting that injured Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, three Palestinian college students.
Senate Bill Would Outlaw Dual Citizenship. On December 1, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced S.3283, which would prohibit any person from simultaneously holding US citizenship and citizenship of another country.
Bicameral Resolutions Condemn Iran’s Persecution of Baha’i Minority. On December 3, Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced H.Res.925, condemning the Iranian government’s persecution of the Baha’i minority. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced companion legislation (S.Res.525) in the Senate.
Finalized NDAA Repeals Caesar Sanctions. On December 7, Congress released the finalized text of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a full repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act sanctions on Syria. The NDAA requires the president to report to Congress every 180 days for the next four years on whether the Syrian government is taking specific actions, including eliminating the threat posed by the so-called Islamic State; removing foreign fighters from senior government and security roles; upholding religious and ethnic minority rights; refraining from “unprovoked” military action against neighbors, including Israel; implementing the March 10, 2025, agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces; combating money laundering and terrorist financing; prosecuting serious human rights abuses; and curbing illicit narcotics production, including Captagon.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
Bipartisan Lawmakers Press Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah. On December 3, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) led eight other House lawmakers in a letter to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, urging them to move quickly to disarm Hezbollah in accordance with the November 2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement. The lawmakers accused the Lebanese government of failing to disarm the group and warned that US support could be withdrawn if Lebanon does not change course.
3) Hearings and Briefings
Senate Advances Nominations for Anti-Semitism Envoy and US Deputy Representative to the UN. On December 3, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) held a business meeting on the nominations of former Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce to serve as the US Deputy Representative to the United Nations and of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.
HFAC Holds Markup on Various Measures. On December 3, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) held a markup on legislation including:
- R. 4397, to require the President to designate the entire Muslim Brotherhood globally as a foreign terrorist organization and to direct the Secretary of State to submit a related report to Congress;
- R. 4291, to require a review of whether individuals or entities on certain sanctions lists should also be subject to additional sanctions or included on other lists;
- R. 1848, to impose additional sanctions on the Houthis;
- R. 6297, to require the Department of State to regularly brief Congress on anti-Semitism in Europe; and
- R. 6230, to determine whether specific Iranian individuals and entities should be designated as specially designated global terrorists.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Calls for Israel-Syria Dialogue; Netanyahu Invited to Visit Washington “In the Near Future.” On December 1, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the United States is “very satisfied with the results displayed, through hard work and determination” in Syria. He also said that it was “very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State.”
On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that he spoke with President Trump about “the importance of and commitment to dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip” and “the expansion of the peace accords.” Netanyahu’s office also said he was invited to visit the White House “in the near future,” in what would be his fifth such visit during the second Trump administration.
Trump Says He Does Not Want Somalis in the United States. On December 2, during his final cabinet meeting of the year, Trump said that he does not want Somali immigrants in the United States, telling reporters that they should “go back to where they came from” and that “their country is no good for a reason.” He also said that “we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage.” Responding to Trump’s remarks, SFRC Ranking Member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), HFAC Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) said that Trump’s comments “are xenophobic and unacceptable.” They added, “These comments undercut US interests, stoke anti-American sentiment and create openings for terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab and [the so-called Islamic State] to exploit.”
Trump: Phase Two of Gaza Peace Plan Will “Happen Pretty Soon.” On December 3, when asked in the Oval Office when phase two of the Gaza peace plan will begin, Trump said that the process is “going along well” and that “it’s going to happen pretty soon.” He also said that “they had a problem today with a bomb that went off—hurt some people pretty badly, probably killed some people,” but added that “it’s going very well. We have peace in the Middle East.”
US Focus on Middle East “Will Recede” Under New NSS. On December 4, the White House released the 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS), which states that the Middle East is no longer the United States’ top strategic priority. The NSS notes that factors that once made the region central to US policy, such as energy production and widespread conflict, “no longer hold.” With the United States expanding its own energy production, it adds that “America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede.” Instead, the strategy states that “the region will increasingly become a source and destination of international investment,” including in artificial intelligence.
The NSS also argues that regional conflict is subsiding, pointing to the ceasefire in Gaza and the US attack on Iran in June 2025, which it says “significantly degraded” Tehran’s nuclear program.
2) Department of State
Department Approves Military Sale to Saudi Arabia. On December 1, the Department of State approved two possible Foreign Military Sales to Saudi Arabia, valued at $500 million each, for support and training for military helicopters and related equipment. The potential sales cover requisition orders for spares and repair parts and aviation training services for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Corps’ helicopter fleet.
Department Approves Military Sale to Bahrain. On December 1, the Department of State approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain of sustainment for F-16 jets and related equipment for an estimated cost of $445 million.
United States Opens Its Largest Diplomatic Facility Worldwide in Erbil. On December 3, the United States inaugurated its new consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. It is the largest US diplomatic facility in the world. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas attended the ceremony and urged both Baghdad and Erbil to “disempower and dismantle Iran-aligned militias that continue to engage in violent and destabilizing activities and only serve to harm Iraqi sovereignty.” He said that the new facility underscores the partnership between the United States and the Kurdish authorities and will serve as a hub for diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation.
Department Approves Military Sale to Lebanon. On December 5, the Department of State approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Lebanon of Medium Tactical Vehicles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $90.5 million.
UN Ambassador Travels to Jordan and Israel. From December 6 to 10, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz is traveling to Jordan and Israel to promote Trump’s Gaza peace plan. On December 7, Waltz was in Amman, where he met with King Abdullah II to discuss “the need to implement all parts of President Trump’s 20-point Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” and “the need for stability in the West Bank.” In Israel, Waltz is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog to discuss US-Israel coordination at the UN and shared security priorities. He will tour Israel’s northern and southern borders for briefings on the implementation of Resolution 2803, visit the Kerem Shalom crossing to assess aid flows into Gaza, and visit the Civil-Military Coordination Center.
3) Department of War
United States and Bahrain Open Bilateral Air Defense Command Post. On December 1, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa opened a new bilateral Combined Command Post for air defense at Ras Al Bar Camp in Bahrain. This is CENTCOM’s second bilateral air defense command post in the region; the first opened in Qatar in November 2025.
CENTCOM Commander Meets Qatari Prime Minister. On December 2, Adm. Cooper met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha to discuss strategic relations, including enhancement of Qatari-US cooperation in the military and defense fields.
AFRICOM Commander Visits Libya. On December 3, AFRICOM announced that Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson made his first visit to Libya, meeting officials from both the western and eastern governments in Tripoli and Benghazi, respectively. He met with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and senior military officials in the west, as well as Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and LNA Deputy Gen. Saddam Haftar in the east, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and cooperation.
AFRICOM Conducts More Strikes in Somalia. From December 1 to 3, US forces carried out airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Somalia. On December 3, US forces conducted an airstrike against al-Shabab in Somalia.
