I. Legislative Branch
1) Personnel and Correspondence
Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Support for Eastern Mediterranean Power Link. On August 11, Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) led four other lawmakers in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US International Development Finance Corporation CEO Ben Black urging the administration to prioritize the Great Sea Interconnector, which would link the electricity grids of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel.
Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Threatens to Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory. On August 10, President Donald Trump called for Iran to pay compensation for people he said it had killed or wounded, responding to Tehran’s demand that the United States cover its war costs in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Iran should also be held responsible for deaths and damages in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
On August 12, Trump claimed that the United States maintains “total control” over the Strait. Iran, however, has continued to assert its influence over the waterway while pursuing talks with Oman over the Strait’s future management, saying that it will not allow full traffic to resume until the US naval blockade and sanctions are lifted and its frozen assets are released.
On August 14, Trump threatened to designate the Strait of Hormuz as US territory.
Trump Welcomes Signing of Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. On August 16, President Trump praised the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, calling it a “big, bold, and important first step.” The agreement establishes a mutual defense commitment under which an armed attack on one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.
Kushner Meets with Hamas in Push to Advance Gaza Plan. On August 16, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt as part of an effort to revive the stalled Gaza ceasefire process. The meeting reportedly focused on securing Hamas’s commitment to a 15-point US-backed roadmap.
Hamas later called on mediators and the Board of Peace to pressure Israel to accept the plan, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected on August 9. Kushner is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on August 17 alongside Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
2) Department of War
CENTCOM Launches Multinational Attack Drone Task Force. On August 13, CENTCOM announced plans to establish Task Force Falcon Strike, its first multinational, multi-domain one-way attack drone task force. The initiative will integrate US and regional partners’ unmanned systems operating in the air, on the sea, and underwater to expand joint deterrence capabilities across the Middle East.
CENTCOM Commander Completes Middle East Tour. On August 15, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper concluded a 10-day regional trip that included meetings with senior civilian and military officials in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as a visit to a US Navy aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Cooper also oversaw the transfer of command for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Jordan.
