I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Bill Would Grant TPS to Iranians Affected by USCIS Adjudication Pause. On May 12, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) introduced H.R.8740, which would grant Temporary Protected Status and work authorization to eligible Iranian nationals in the United States affected by the Trump administration’s pause on US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudications.
Senate, House Reject Iran War Powers Resolutions. On May 13, the Senate rejected, for the seventh time, a War Powers resolution that would have halted US military operations against Iran without congressional approval. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), failed in a 49-50 vote, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) being the only Democrat to vote against advancing the measure.
The next day, the House rejected a similar Iran War Powers resolution, introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), for a third time in a 212-212 vote (in the House, a tie means the measure fails). Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Tom Barrett (R-MI) voted in favor of the resolution, while Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) voted against it.
Between May 12 and 15, House Democrats introduced new Iran War Powers legislation, including identical resolutions led by Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Emily Randall (D-WA).
HFAC Advances Sudan Resolution Condemning Civilian Attacks. On May 13, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced several pieces of legislation during a full committee markup, including H.Res.1179, which condemns attacks on civilians in Sudan and calls for a negotiated end to the war and an end to external material support for the warring parties.
Senate and House Bills Seek to Bar Entry of Foreign Nationals Who Follow Sharia Law. On May 12, Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) introduced H.R.8756, which would require immigrants entering the United States under the EB-4 visa category, which includes religious workers, to disavow Sharia law and affirm support for the US Constitution.
On May 14, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced S.4542, which would bar foreign nationals advocating for Sharia law from entering or remaining in the United States.
House Bill Would Impose Windfall Profits Tax on Crude Oil During Iran War. On May 13, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced H.R.8803, which would apply a 100 percent windfall profits tax to US oil revenues earned at prices above $75 per barrel. The tax would remain in effect until the President certifies an end to hostilities with Iran, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and crude oil prices below $75 per barrel.
Tlaib Introduces Resolution Recognizing the Nakba. On May 14, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) reintroduced H.Res.1289, a resolution recognizing the ongoing Nakba and the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Massie Introduces Bill Requiring AIPAC to Register as Foreign Agent. On May 14, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced H.R.8809, which would amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, a law that requires those working to influence US government policy on behalf of foreign powers to register with the Department of Justice (DOJ). If passed, the bill would require AIPAC to register as a foreign agent.
Senate Bill Would Revoke Visas of “Terrorists’ Family Members.” On May 14, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced S.4526, which would revoke existing visas held by close family members of alleged foreign terrorists and prohibit future visas from being issued to them. According to the press release, the bill follows reports that the niece and grandniece of former Iranian Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani had lived legally in the United States on visas for several years.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge United Kingdom to Designate IRGC as Terrorist Organization. On May 12, Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Mike Lawler (R-NY) led 17 other bipartisan House lawmakers in a letter to the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, urging London to immediately designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Senate Democrats Renew Calls for Accountability in Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. On May 12, Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Peter Welch (D-VT) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel to release the 2023 report by the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and to provide an update on the FBI investigation into her death.
SFRC Democrats Criticize Trump for Not Pressuring China Over Iran. On May 15, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released a statement criticizing President Donald Trump for failing to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping over China’s support for Iran during their summit in Beijing.
3) Hearings and Briefings
Lawmakers Press Hegseth on Iran War During Budget Hearings. On May 12, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine faced questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers during House and Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearings on the Trump administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 military budget request of $1.5 trillion. Lawmakers pressed the officials on the administration’s Iran war strategy, the conflict’s rising costs, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns over US weapons stockpiles. Hegseth and Caine repeatedly declined to discuss US strategy toward Iran or plans for reopening the Strait.
The Pentagon’s acting chief financial officer, Jules Hurst, told lawmakers that the estimated cost of the war had risen to nearly $29 billion, up from the estimate of $25 billion provided on April 29. Hegseth also said that the administration did not believe it needed congressional authorization to continue military operations against Iran.
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Sharia Law. On May 13, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing titled, “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law are Incompatible with the US Constitution.”
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Says Iran Ceasefire Is “Unbelievably Weak.” On May 11, President Donald Trump described the ceasefire with Iran as “unbelievably weak” and “on life support” after he rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war. Trump dismissed Iran’s counterproposal as a “piece of garbage” and denied facing domestic pressure to reach a deal. He also said that he was considering restarting US Navy escort operations for commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump additionally said that he was “very disappointed” with Kurdish leaders for allegedly failing to support the Iranian opposition during the war. His remarks referenced his April 2026 claim that the United States had sought to arm Iranian protestors by sending weapons for Kurdish militias, who have denied this.
The following day, as Trump departed for China ahead of a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he told reporters that “we have Iran very much under control” but added that “we’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated, one way or the other. We win.”
Meanwhile, on May 13, Vice President JD Vance said that progress was being made in negotiations with Iran. On May 14, Trump said that the “military decimation of Iran” was among his administration’s achievements, adding that it was “to be continued.”
Trump Weighs Lifting Sanctions on Chinese Companies Buying Iranian Oil. According to a White House readout published on May 14, President Trump held what was described as a good meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Xi “made clear” that China opposes the “militarization of the Strait” and any effort to impose tolls on passage through it.
On May 15, as he departed China aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he was considering whether to lift US sanctions on Chinese oil companies that purchase Iranian oil. Asked whether Xi had committed to pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump responded that “I’m not asking for any favors because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return.”
Trump also indicated that he could accept a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program if Tehran provided a “real” guarantee, appearing to shift from his previous demand that Iran permanently halt enrichment.
United States and Israel Reportedly Preparing for Renewed Military Operations Against Iran. On May 15, the New York Times reported that the United States and Israel are undertaking what it described as their “most intense preparations yet” for renewed attacks on Iran, potentially as soon as this week. Options under consideration reportedly include an intense bombing campaign targeting military and infrastructure sites, the seizure of Iran’s Kharg Island, and commando operations aimed at retrieving nuclear material buried underground.
On May 17, President Trump warned that Iran needed to move quickly toward a peace deal or “there won’t be anything left of them.” Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reportedly spoke about renewing the war with Iran.
2) Department of State
Rubio Speaks with British and Australian Foreign Ministers. On May 11, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong about Iran and efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio Says Administration Will Urge China to Play “Active Role” in Iran Talks. On May 13, aboard Air Force One, Secretary Rubio said that the Trump administration would seek to convince China to take a more “active role” in efforts to end the Iran war. Rubio argued that it was in Beijing’s interest to help pressure Iran, citing disruptions to Chinese shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Trump Administration Pledges Additional $1.8 Billion for UN Humanitarian Aid. On May 14, the Trump administration announced an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian funding for UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) programs and country-based pooled funds. The new funding adds to the $2 billion pledged by the administration in December 2025.
According to the Department of State, the latest contribution brings Trump administration support for OCHA programs to $3.8 billion across 21 countries, including Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria. This amount, however, remains far below past annual US funding for UN humanitarian programs, which reached $17 billion in Fiscal Year 2022.
United States Hosts Third Round of Israel-Lebanon Talks; Ceasefire Extended by 45 Days. On May 14 and 15, the United States facilitated two days of talks between Israel and Lebanon, during which, according to a Department of State press release, the two sides agreed on a framework for negotiations aimed at advancing lasting peace, mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and security along their shared border.
The two sides also agreed to extend their ceasefire, which had been set to expire on May 17, by a further 45 days. Additionally, political negotiations are scheduled to continue on June 2 and 3, with a “security track” involving Lebanese and Israeli military delegations to begin at the Pentagon on May 29.
3) Department of the Treasury
Treasury Issues Sanctions Over Iran’s Oil Shipments to China. On May 11, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated 12 individuals and entities accused of facilitating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ sale and shipment of Iranian oil to China.
4) Department of Justice
United States Arrests Alleged Iran-Backed Kata’ib Hezbollah Member. On May 15, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, who is alleged to be a senior member of the Iran-backed group Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq and accused of involvement in nearly 20 alleged attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the United States.
