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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE
President Trump said yesterday that the United States will guide some ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz safely out of the waterway, calling it a humanitarian gesture requested by other countries whose vessels have been stuck for weeks. Trump said the operation, which he dubbed Project Freedom, would begin this morning. Trump also said yesterday that his representatives have been having “very positive discussions” with Iranian leaders about formally ending hostilities, despite a post on Saturday saying that he “can’t imagine that [Iran’s latest proposal] would be acceptable.” Dan Diamond reports for the Washington Post; Jacob Wendler reports for POLITICO; Ashley Ahn reports for the New York Times.
Iran’s 14-point proposal made public over the weekend calls for the U.S. to lift sanctions on Iran, end the U.S. naval blockade, withdraw forces from the region, and cease all hostilities, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies. The proposal seeks to resolve all issues, other than nuclear negotiations, within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Iranian officials yesterday said they received and were reviewing the U.S. response. Adam Schreck and Sam Metz report for AP News.
The Joint Maritime Information Center said today that the United States has established an “enhanced security area” in the Strait of Hormuz, positioned south of the usual shipping lanes, to help guide vessels safely through the region, and is urging mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities due to expected heavy traffic. In response, Iran’s armed forces issued a statement, saying, “We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. army, will be attacked if they attempt to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.” Adam Schreck and Sam Metz report for AP News; Tala Ramdan and Jacob Bogage report for Reuters.
Iran has stopped a U.S. Navy destroyer from entering the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said today. Fars said a vessel was hit by two missiles as it was sailing through the strait “in violation of traffic and shipping security.” U.S. Central Command denies that one of its warships has been struck by Iran. Sam Hancock and Angus Thompson report for BBC News.
Pakistan said today that 22 crew members, who had been held aboard the Iranian-flagged tanker – MV Touska – after its capture by the U.S. Navy, were flown to Pakistan last night and would be handed over to the Iranian authorities. Pakistan called the move a “confidence-building measure” coordinated with the United States and Iran. Elian Peltier and Dan Watson report for the New York Times.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON OPERATIONS
Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 10 people in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones at northern Israel, where two soldiers were wounded. Bassam Hatoum and Bassem Mroue report for AP News.
An analysis of satellite images by the New York Times shows widespread demolition of at least two dozen towns and villages in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces, with damage to government offices, homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques. Samuel Granados, Abdi Latif Dahir, and Sanjana Varghese report.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Trump sent letters to Congress on Friday reiterating the administration’s position that the ceasefire declared on April 7 had stopped the clock on the war with Iran. Trump’s letter made the case that there had “been no exchange of fire” since early April and that hostilities “have terminated,” in an apparent move to avoid having to seek congressional approval. Hours later, Trump undercut his position. “You know we’re in a war,” he said in Florida. “Because I think you would agree we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon.” Erica L. Green and Megan Mineiro report for the New York Times.
The State Department on Friday announced more than $8.6 billion in emergency arms sales to partners in the Middle East. The sales would entail the transfer of rockets to Israel, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and air-defense equipment to Qatar and Kuwait. This is the third time the Trump administration has invoked an emergency authorization during the Iran war to bypass Congress on arms sales. Aaron Boxerman and Edward Wong report for the New York Times.
The Defense Department estimates that Iran has been denied nearly $5 billion in oil revenue because of the U.S. blockade. Since the blockade began on April 13, the U.S. military has redirected more than 40 vessels, Pentagon officials say, adding that 31 tankers laden with 53 million barrels of Iranian oil are stuck in the Gulf. Marc Caputo reports for Axios.
European nations have “gotten the message” from Trump and are now ensuring that agreements on the use of military bases are being implemented, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today. Spain has said that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war with Iran. But Rutte said other NATO countries such as Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France, and Germany were implementing requests for the use of bases and other logistical support. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Israel, set up to monitor the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and boost aid flow into Gaza, is set to be shut down by the Trump administration, sources told Reuters. Diplomats said the International Stabilization Force will, in effect, take over from the CMCC. One diplomat said the number of U.S. troops working at the revamped ISF would drop to 40 from around 190, as the United States seeks to replace troops with civilian staff from other countries. The Board of Peace denied that the CMCC was closing, without addressing whether the ISF would take over its responsibilities. Alexander Cornwell reports.
Israel has approved a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-25 and F-15IA advanced fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the Israeli defense ministry said yesterday. The deal is the first step in a $119 billion plan to bolster Israel’s military and “strengthen readiness ahead of a demanding decade for Israeli security,” it said. Steven Scheer reports for Reuters.
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
The Palestinian Red Crescent said one Palestinian man was killed and four others wounded by gunfire during an Israeli military operation in Nablus, a city in the occupied West Bank, yesterday. Israel’s military said it responded to a confrontation in which several “terrorists” threw rocks toward soldiers. Aref Tuffaha reports for AP News. SUDANESE CIVIL WAR
Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary killed at least five people in a drone attack that hit a civilian vehicle on the outskirts of Khartoum on Saturday, according to Emergency Lawyers, a rights group tracking violence against civilians. The RSF has yet to claim the attack. AP News reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Advocacy group AccessNow said the 2026 edition of RightsCon – a conference devoted to digital rights due to begin in Zambia on Tuesday – was canceled after Chinese diplomats pressured Zambia’s government over the presence of Taiwanese civil society figures due to attend. Rapahel Satter reports for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Pentagon officials announced on Friday that they were pulling 5,000 troops from Germany and would redeploy them to the United States and other posts overseas. The Defense Department is also canceling a plan developed under the Biden administration to deploy a U.S battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany. The moves will return U.S. forces in Europe to the level they were in 2022, before Russia began its war in Ukraine, officials said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz yesterday dismissed suggestions that his criticism of U.S. war planning in Iran had sparked Washington’s troop withdrawal announcement. Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, and Megan Mineiro report for the New York Times; Natalie Muller reports for DW; Reuters reports.
Trump on Friday signed an executive order broadening U.S. sanctions against the Cuban government, two White House officials told Reuters. The fresh sanctions target people, entities, and affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations, as well as agents, officials, or supporters of the government, the officials said. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the new “coercive” measures reinforce the United States’ “brutal, genocidal” blockade against the island. Steve Holland and Daphen Psaledakis report.
The U.S. Army is searching for two service members who went missing while taking part in a joint military exercise in Morocco, according to a statement released by the U.S. Africa Command yesterday. A military official said the two soldiers were out on an early evening hike at a training range, and at least one of them is believed to have fallen off a cliff into the sea. Initial reports indicated that the first individual who fell was eventually rescued, but two others, who attempted the rescue, were still missing, the official said. Leo Sands and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to travel to Italy to meet with Pope Leo XIV this week, according to a senior Vatican official. Anthony Faiola and Stefana Pitrelli report for the Washington Post.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its website last week, without a formal announcement, to indicate that physicians are no longer subject to a processing hold on visa extensions, work permits, and green cards for citizens of 39 countries on the travel ban list. Miriam Jordan reports for the New York Times.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said yesterday that the “86 47” message is “posted constantly” by many people, noting that such statements typically do not lead to indictments. Blanche said former FBI Director James Comey’s case was different because of additional evidence that had been collected, though he could not describe said evidence. The three-page indictment secured last week was focused only on the seashell post. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
Voters and key voting rights groups filed multiple lawsuits against Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) on Friday over his order to suspend the state’s House primary, arguing he had overstepped his executive powers by delaying the election to give lawmakers time to draw a new congressional map. The state court rejected the pleas for an emergency order to immediately block the suspension and scheduled a preliminary hearing for this week. Nick Corasaniti and Emily Cochrane report for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Eight U.S. tech companies have signed formal agreements to deploy their advanced AI capabilities on the Defense Department’s classified networks “for lawful operational use,” according to a Pentagon press release on Friday. DOD’s new deals with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle follow a major contract dispute between the department and Anthropic. Brandi Vincent reports for DefenseScoop.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has decreased by nearly 3.5 million people since stricter eligibility requirements were enacted last July, according to federal data. In Arizona, which incorporated the new rules immediately after the legislation’s passage, the number of SNAP recipients has fallen by roughly 50%, according to state data. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the tighter work requirements will reduce spending on SNAP by $68.6 billion over roughly the next decade. Dan Frosch reports for the Wall Street Journal.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
Two companies that make the abortion drug mifepristone asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to pause Friday’s lower court ruling that cut off telemedicine access to the pills nationwide. Alice Miranda Ollstein reports for POLITICO.
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from moving ahead this week with plans to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 2,800 people from Yemen. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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