I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Bill Would Expand US-Israeli Defense Technology Cooperation. On October 13, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) introduced H.R.10796, which would direct the Secretary of War to designate an executive agent to coordinate and accelerate defense technology cooperation between the United States and Israel, including research, development, testing, and procurement. The initiative would cover areas such as counter-unmanned systems, anti-tunneling technologies, missile defense and air defense, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber defense, biotechnology, and defense manufacturing and co-production.
House Bill Would Establish US-Sudanese Agriculture and Minerals Partnership. On October 13, Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) introduced H.R.10795, which would establish an agriculture and minerals partnership between the United States and Sudan. The bill would provide US agricultural and mining equipment, technology, and expertise in exchange for Sudanese natural resources, including gold, uranium, crude oil, chromium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, silver, nickel, and gum arabic. The partnership would be contingent on the Secretary of State determining progress in civilian protection and political stability in Sudan.
House Bill Would Expand Internet Freedom in Iran. On October 15, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) introduced H.R.10832, which would strengthen US efforts to help Iranians access the open internet and circumvent government censorship, surveillance, and internet shutdowns.
House Bill Seeks Accountability for Abuses Against Syria’s Religious and Ethnic Minorities. On October 15, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) introduced H.R.10827, which would require reporting on individuals, including government officials, implicated in serious abuses against Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, as well as a determination of whether targeted US sanctions should be imposed.
Senate Joint Resolution Would Block US-Saudi Nuclear Agreement. On October 15, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced S.J.Res.221, a joint resolution of disapproval of the proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. Merkley criticized the agreement for not prohibiting uranium enrichment and reprocessing or requiring the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol safeguards, arguing that it falls short of US nonproliferation standards.2) Personnel and Correspondence
House Republicans Ask HHS to Investigate CAIR, Other Islamic Groups. On October 13, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) led eight other House Republicans in a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asking the department to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and several other Islamic organizations over alleged misuse of federal grants and purported ties to terrorism, and to determine whether these groups meet federal standards for suspension or debarment.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Says Somaliland Is Its Own Country. On October 12, President Trump said that Somaliland was “a totally different country” from Somalia and suggested that it change its name to “Somalia Land.”
Trump Accuses Houthis of Trying to Raise Oil Prices Ahead of Midterms. On October 13, President Donald Trump said that the Houthis were attacking Saudi Arabia and deliberately trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections. He also referenced the 2025 US strikes on the group and warned that he would “never forget” their actions after the elections.
Trump Rules Out Nuclear Attack on Iran, Raises Possibility of Further Strikes. On October 15, President Trump said in a Newsmax interview that the United States could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities again, including those below Pickaxe Mountain. While ruling out the use of nuclear weapons, Trump said that he was considering using the GBU-43/Massive Ordnance Air Blast, nicknamed the “Mother of All Bombs,” one of the most lethal conventional bombs in the US arsenal. Trump also mentioned that he did not foresee deploying US ground forces and that the war would end “very soon,” through either force or diplomacy.
Trump Says Israel Has Been “Very Helpful” to Saudi Arabia. On October 16, President Trump said that Israel had been “very helpful” to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom confronts Houthi attacks, though he did not clarify whether Israel was directly assisting Saudi operations against the group. Trump also said that Saudi-Israeli normalization could be back on the table “maybe more than ever” and that Riyadh was “very happy” to have Israeli and US support.
Trump Endorses Netanyahu Ahead of Israeli Elections. On October 18, President Trump endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 parliamentary elections. Trump praised Netanyahu as a partner in combating Iran and said that any other candidate would be the “wrong” leader, leaving the United States to do that work itself. The endorsement came after Trump was asked in an October 15 Newsmax interview whether he trusted Netanyahu and replied that “in politics I don’t trust anybody.”
2) Department of State
Department Commemorates First Anniversary of Gaza Peace Summit. On October 13, the Department of State released a statement commemorating the first anniversary of the Gaza Peace Summit, claiming that the Trump administration has remained committed to rebuilding Gaza and implementing its postwar plan.
Huckabee Reportedly Meets with Netanyahu’s Top Rival. During the week of October 13, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly met with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, a leading challenger to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. According to sources familiar with the matter, the meeting focused on security issues, including Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Rubio Speaks with Lebanese President. On October 15, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun following Lebanon’s seizure of explosives that Hezbollah said were intended for use against Israel. Rubio urged Aoun to hold those responsible accountable for the shipment and said the explosives should not be returned to Hezbollah. He also called for direct military-to-military communication between Lebanon and Israel, while Aoun reportedly asked Washington to press Israel to halt attacks in southern Lebanon.
The United States Condemns Violence in West Bank After Settler Attack on Washington Post Journalist. On October 16, the Department of State condemned “criminal violence by any party” in the occupied West Bank after US photojournalist Heidi Levine was attacked by Israeli settlers while reporting for the Washington Post on violence against Palestinian olive farmers.
On October 17, Secretary Rubio said that the Trump administration was “very disturbed” by images of the attack and was seeking additional information, adding that Washington had asked the Israelis “to crack down on that stuff.” Separately, US Ambassador to Israel Huckabee called the attack a “despicable act of terror” and urged Israeli authorities to arrest and prosecute those responsible.
3) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Sanctions Iranian Financial Networks. On October 15, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on an Iraqi bank, Iranian offshore banks, exchange houses, individuals, and companies that it said helped Iran access US dollars, evade sanctions, and move funds through shadow banking networks. The Treasury also issued an alert urging financial institutions to report potential Iranian government abuse of religious charity networks.
