Early Edition: May 29, 2026

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE 

Vice President JD Vance said yesterday that the United States and Iran are very close to a memorandum of understanding that would extend the ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch talks on limiting Iran’s nuclear program. Sources told Reuters that the negotiators had reached an agreement, but President Trump had yet to give his final approval. U.S. officials told Axios that the Iranians said they had the necessary approvals for the deal and were prepared to sign. Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, said the text of the agreement had not been finalized or confirmed. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, and Yomna Ehab report. 

IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters yesterday that he had spoken with Oman’s ambassador, who said there were no plans for Oman to cooperate with Iran by imposing a toll in the Strait of Hormuz. Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, and Yomna Ehab report for Reuters. 

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that he had directed the Israeli military to expand its control of Gaza to 70 percent of the enclave. As per the ceasefire agreement struck last October, the Israeli military pulled back to an area encompassing roughly 53 percent of the territory. Earlier this month, Netanyahu disclosed that Israel had increased its control to 60 percent. David M. Halbfinger and Johnatan Reiss report for the New York Times.  

Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said yesterday that Israel would cut ties with the U.N. Secretary General, António Guterres, and his office after a decision to include Israel and its security services on an upcoming sexual violence blacklist over alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees. Danon called the decision “disconnected from the facts and reality.” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric characterized Israel’s announcement as largely symbolic and unlikely to change U.N. operations. Hamas is also included on an associated list of countries and groups accused of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times; Farnoush Amiri and Edith M. Lederer report for AP News.  

France has asked for the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of French nationals, who were part of the recent activist flotilla heading for Gaza, by Israeli authorities, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said today. “Based on ​a report I requested from our Consul General ​in Turkey, who informed me of sexual violence, ⁠exposure to the cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation ​of French nationals, all of these acts are likely ​to constitute criminal offenses,” Barrot said. Reuters reports.  

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 

A Russian attack drone hit an apartment building in eastern Romania this morning, according to the authorities. Romania’s foreign ministry said the drone had been involved in an overnight assault on Ukraine, but had crashed into a building in Galati. Two people were injured, and several others required medical attention. NATO condemned “Russia’s recklessness” and confirmed that it was in touch with the Romanian authorities. Cassandra Vinograd reports for the New York Times.   

Russia is set to overspend on the war in Ukraine by Rbs2tn ($28 billion) this year, according to a letter seen by the Financial Times. Max Seddon and Anastasia Stognei report.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS 

Russia has intensified its efforts to undermine Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s bid for re-election next month, according to Western intelligence and government officials. In addition to disinformation campaigns, Moscow has plans to transport tens of thousands of Russian-Armenians to sway the vote, intelligence officials said. Tom Balmforth, Gram Slattery, Humeyra Pamuk, and Lucy Papachristou report for Reuters.  

China is building a military complex, which includes more than 80 launch pads, bunkers, and communications nodes near the isolated nuclear silos that hold the Chinese military’s longest-range missiles, according to satellite images reviewed by Reuters. Greg Torode, Laurie Chen, and Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa report.

 U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

U.S. Central Command said it had “received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater,” according to a letter shared with Reuters. The message was sent on April 14 and offered no further information about where U.S. forces were being targeted. A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to the Pentagon yesterday, warning that it was time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.” Raphael Satter reports.

Guatemala has agreed to carry out joint strikes with the United States military inside its territory to target drug trafficking groups, according to three sources. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo agreed to both airstrikes and other military actions in a call with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week, two sources said, with operations to start as early as next month. Maria Abi-Habib and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times. 

The United States yesterday designated Brazil’s two biggest drug gangs as terrorist groups. The move comes just days after two sons of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited Trump at the White House, where they asked him to impose such a label. Ana Ionova reports for the New York Times.  

A 50-bed quarantine unit that the United States is setting up in Kenya to house U.S. citizens exposed to the Ebola virus could be operational from today, according to senior administration officials. Officials told reporters yesterday that the decision to send Americans to Kenya was based purely on what was best for their health. U.S. doctors and public health advocates have criticized the approach, arguing that the United States has over a dozen of the best facilities in the world to care for people with Ebola. Karoun Demirjian and Apoorva Mandavilli report for the New York Times; Carmen Paun and Cheyenne Haslett report for POLITICO.

The High Court in Nairobi today suspended the U.S. plan to establish the quarantine facility until petitions against it are heard on Tuesday. An organization formed to defend Kenya’s Constitution, Katiba Institute, and the Kenya Law Society separately challenged any presence of Ebola-related facilities. The Kenya Law Society asked the court to nullify any agreements signed between the U.S. and Kenya on the project, citing public health risks and a lack of public participation. A Kenyan doctors’ union on Thursday issued a 48-hour strike notice should the country proceed with the deal. Evelyne Musambi reports for AP News.  

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS 

The Trump administration is bracing for the potential collapse of the Cuban government as early as this summer, and has prepared new military response plans in case the island descends into chaos, U.S. officials told Axios. One presidential adviser said the approach to Cuba is “classic Trump: Push your enemy off balance. It’s pressure, watch the response, apply more pressure, watch the response, apply more pressure.” Marc Caputo reports.

The death toll from the Trump administration’s monthslong series of strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean has risen to at least 199 people after survivors of recent attacks were not found. Konstantin Torpoin and Ben Finely report for AP News.  

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS 

Relatives of detainees at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, said yesterday that incarcerated migrants were being beaten and subjected to pepper spray following a hunger strike by some inmates. Federal officials have denied that a hunger strike is taking place, but family members of detainees taking part in the strike have disputed that claim. Ana Ley and Mark Bonamo report for the New York Times.  

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 

The Justice Department’s examination of E. Jean Caroll’s lawsuits against Trump involves investigating donations made by a nonprofit founded by billionaire Reid Hoffman to pay for Caroll’s legal bills, sources said. One source said that Hoffman’s nonprofit, American Future Republic, is actually the current subject of the criminal inquiry, although that could change. Glenn Thrush and Benjamin Weiser report for the New York Times.  

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

Bessent said yesterday that the Treasury Department has been working on a mock-up of a $250 note bearing Trump’s face. The move would mark a dramatic remaking of U.S. money, which is currently only allowed to bear images of the deceased. Bessent acknowledged that any policy change would require approval from Congress. Alan Rappeport reports for the New York Times.  

The Pentagon this week announced a $9.7 billion contract with Dell Technologies. The deal is drawing scrutiny as Trump earlier this year purchased more than $1 million in Dell stock, raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest. The White House yesterday denied any conflict, saying that Trump’s investments are managed independently by his children and advisers. Eric Lipton reports for the New York Times.  

The White House is split into three camps over how to regulate AI, according to two senior White House officials. One faction, which includes former AI Czar David Sacks, favors less regulation to help the industry compete against China, while others like Hegseth advocate for greater barriers to Mythos-type models. A proposed executive order requiring AI companies to voluntarily share advanced models with the government before release was abruptly paused last week after last-minute objections, but officials say it may still return in revised form. Diana Nerozzi and Sophia Cai report for POLITICO.  

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION 

A federal judge yesterday declined to block an executive order Trump signed in March targeting mail-in voting and directing the creation of a federal database of citizens to help guide states on voter eligibility. The judge said it was premature for the court to intervene, adding that the administration had yet to carry out much of the order, leaving most of the harm predicted by the lawsuit as hypothetical. Zach Montague and Adam Sella report for the New York Times. 

Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.

If you enjoy listening, Just Security’s analytic articles are also available in audio form on the justsecurity.org website.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Just Security