CEASEFIRE INTERRUPTED: The U.S. military said the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect, even though it has been in a running battle with Iranian forces, after spotting what it assessed as an Iranian small boat laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz.
The two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats were “eliminated,” and surface-to-air missile sites in Bandar Abbas were also targeted, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, told various media organizations.
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“U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Hawkins said in a statement. “Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
Jennifer Griffin, Fox News chief national security correspondent, said on X that officials told her that the Iranian missile sites were destroyed because they were targeting U.S. warplanes, and that military action is over for the moment, and the ceasefire is still in effect.
Iran said four people were killed in the strike on the IRGC boats, and claimed that a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone was shot down.
US LAUNCHES ‘SELF-DEFENSE STRIKES’ IN IRAN AS PEACE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE
TRUMP: ‘GREAT DEAL FOR ALL OR, NO DEAL’: President Donald Trump spent the three-day Memorial Day weekend trumpeting that a deal with Iran that would end the three war month war had been “largely negotiated, subject to finalization,” and swatting at skeptics — including some Republicans — who feared the deal was a warmed over version of the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama.
“I laugh at all of the Dumocrats, RINOS, and Fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven’t even been negotiated yet,” Trump posted on Truth Social, calling out “weak and ineffective people” including lame duck opponents Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who he called “a major sleazebag.”
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama,” Trump said in a separate post. “Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about.”
TRUMP CALLS CURRENT PEACE DEAL WITH IRAN ‘THE EXACT OPPOSITE’ OF OBAMA-ERA IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
TRUMP OFFICIAL: “NO DUST, NO DOLLARS’: In a background briefing over the weekend senior administration officials told reporters that a key requirement for any deal would be a freeze on Iran’s uranium enrichment program, and the export of its nearly 1,000 pounds of what Trump likes to call its “nuclear dust,” highly enriched uranium that could be further enriched to make a nuclear weapon.
In return, the U.S. would free up some frozen Iranian assets, the official said, but only if Iran follows through. “No dust, no dollars,” the official said.
Trump has insisted previously that the U.S. would have to take possession of the enriched uranium, which not only includes the 60% enriched uranium believed to be burning in the rubble of the Isfahan nuclear site, but also other stockpiles of lesser enriched uranium as well. But in a Truth Social post last night, Trump seemed to soften his demand.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event.”
TRUMP SAYS ENRICHED URANIUM WILL BE HANDED OVER OR DESTROYED ‘IMMEDIATELY’
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TRUMP’S LATEST DEMAND: ‘MANDATORY’ NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL: In a conference call with Gulf allies Saturday, President Trump informed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan that in return for opening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing peace to the Middle East, he expects all of them to sign on to the Abraham Accords, establishing or expanding diplomatic relations with Israel.
“I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit. If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention.”
Trump even suggested Iran should sign on as well. “Wow, now that would be something special!”
The response was stunned silence, according to Axio’s Barak Ravid.
“The leaders, especially those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan who don’t have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, were surprised by Trump’s request,” Ravid reported Sunday. “There was silence on the line, and Trump joked and asked if they are still there,” one U.S. official told him.
“I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords,” Trump said. “I am asking my Representatives to begin, and successfully complete, the process of signing these Countries into the already Historic Abraham Accords.”
TRUMP SAYS GULF STATES SHOULD RECOGNIZE ISRAEL AS PART OF DEAL TO END IRAN WAR
RUSSIA’S GETTING DESPERATE: As military analysts and Ukraine itself are beginning to sense the tide of battle is turning against Russia in the fifth year of the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to deliver a knockout blow with his missiles and drones.
“Russia fired more than 100 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, and on Sunday launched a massive attack on Kyiv with some 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea, and ground-launched missiles, including a powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile.”
In a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would be stepping up its attack on Ukraine’s capital and said the U.S. should pull its diplomats out of the city for their own safety.
Russia, Lavrov said, would be “launching systematic and sustained strikes on facilities serving the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv, as well as relevant decision-making centers.”
“Putin had asked him to call me to relay the message directly to the President, which I did, but obviously we had already seen the notice sent out to all the diplomatic facilities,” Rubio told reporters in India.
“This is what happens with these wars. I mean, they just continue to escalate. There’s a big strike coming one way, the bigger strike coming back, and that’s how these things unravel and keep going. And it’s why the war needs to come to an end,” Rubio said. “Kyiv’s been a very dangerous place now for a number of years. Look, the danger in all of these wars as they continue and then they go on is that they always have the threat of escalation, of spreading into something new.”
RUSSIA INFORMS US OF UPCOMING STRIKES ON KYIV AND URGES AMERICA TO PULL DIPLOMATS
‘WE’RE CALLING IT: THE WAR IN UKRAINE HAS ENTERED A NEW PHASE’: The Institute for the Study of War is out with a new report which concludes that Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign and new mechanized attacks “herald the start of a new phase of the war.”
“Data on Russia’s battlefield performance indicates that the character of the war is shifting in favor of Ukrainian forces – at least for now. Russian forces’ rates of advances are stagnating while Ukrainian forces are employing novel tactics and operational concepts in efforts to break out of positional warfare,” one of the report’s authors, George Barros, posted on X.
“The bottom line is that the war in Ukraine is competitive and far from stalemated,” Barros wrote. “Ukrainian forces are out-innovating Russian forces in both military technologies and in applying these new technologies in effective operational concepts that can help Ukrainian forces break out of positional warfare. Ukraine is employing mechanized equipment in tactical maneuvers in ways that were impossible 12 months ago.”
US TROOP MOVEMENTS IN EUROPE NOT ‘PUNITIVE,’ RUBIO SAYS AFTER POLAND REVERSAL
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Russia informs US of upcoming strikes on Kyiv and urges America to pull diplomats
Washington Examiner: US launches ‘self-defense strikes’ in Iran as peace negotiations continue
Washington Examiner: Israel intensifies strikes on Hezbollah as US-Iran diplomacy may force Lebanon ceasefire
Washington Examiner: Trump says enriched uranium will be handed over or destroyed ‘immediately’
Washington Examiner: Trump calls current peace deal with Iran ‘THE EXACT OPPOSITE’ of Obama-era Iran Nuclear Deal
Washington Examiner: Trump says Gulf States should recognize Israel as part of deal to end Iran war
Washington Examiner: Iran negotiations slowed by supreme leader’s isolation: US officials
Washington Examiner: The Iran talks: How the administration sees things now
Washington Examiner: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid denounces emerging US-Iran peace deal
Washington Examiner: Trump administration eyes Cuba as possible military victory as Iran talks stall
Washington Examiner: US troop movements in Europe not ‘punitive,’ Rubio says after Poland reversal
Washington Examiner: Pope Leo urges significant regulation to disarm AI
Washington Examiner: Trump administration expands finance-focused approach to sway illegal immigrants to self-deport
Washington Examiner: Senate punts immigration enforcement vote over ‘anti-weaponization’ fund outrage
Washington Examiner: Trump snubs Xi in promise to have first direct talk with leader ‘running Taiwan’ in almost 50 years
Washington Examiner: First, the Strait of Hormuz — what choke point could be next?
Washington Examiner: Caine — not Trump — to address Naval Academy commencement in break from tradition
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Capturing Raul Castro would be more difficult than capturing Nicolas Maduro
Washington Examiner: First ICE officer charged for assault in Minneapolis turns himself in to police
Washington Examiner: Trump doesn’t know if he’s ‘losing control’ of Senate GOP
Washington Examiner: US military’s Operation Southern Spear has cost more than $640 million
Washington Examiner: Mikie Sherrill denied access to ICE facility as detainees go on hunger strike
Washington Examiner: DOJ invokes White House shooting in appeal to continue ballroom construction
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump Iran deal: It’s not a victory if the regime survives
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Europe’s moral double standard on Israel is becoming impossible to ignore
Washington Examiner: Opinion: US rightly warns Russia over threats to Latvia
Axios: Trump asked Muslim leaders to join Abraham Accords after Iran war ends
AP: Pope calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto that ponders the future of humanity
New York Times: I’m the Foreign Minister of Sweden. Don’t Overestimate Russia.
The Atlantic: Putin Can No Longer Hide His Catastrophe
Wall Street Journal: How the War in Iran Helped Ukraine Go From Problem to Solution
Bloomberg: Space Force Missile Alert Satellites at Risk of Critical Defects
Military Times: Rubio Ratchets Up Pressure on NATO at Key Summit
Air & Space Forces Magazine: A-10 Revamped: Warthog Flying in Middle East with New Refueling Probe, EW Pod
Defense News: US Marine Corps Tests Using Helicopter as Mobile Drone Command Center
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Wilsbach: No Gap in USAF’s Close Air Support After A-10s Retire
DefenseScoop: DOD Wants Nearly $30 Billion to Modernize Its AI Supercomputing Arsenal in Fiscal 2027
Breaking Defense: Loitering Munitions, Launched Effects Had Strong Presence at SOF Week 2026
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Awards $90 Million to Rocket Lab for Two GEO Satellites
BBC: RIAT 2026 Cancelled amid Middle East Conflict
Air & Space Forces Magazine: AETC Preps Next-Gen Simulators for Future Pilots
Aviation Week: Starship V3 Completes Full Duration Flight Despite Booster Loss
Defense One: The Military Says It’s Ready to ‘Fight Tonight’ in the Pacific. Can It Sustain That Fight?
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | MAY 26
7 a.m. EDT London, U.K. — International Institute for Strategic Studies discussion: “Strained Deterrence: Iran, the Changing Character of War, and the Future of the U.S.-ROK Alliance,” with Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair, Hudson Institute; and Lami Kim, IISS Korea chair https://www.iiss.org/events/2026/052/strained-deterrence
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Warfighting and War Winning in Space,” with Heather Williams, director, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; and Kari Bingen, director, CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/warfighting-and-war-winning-space
2 p.m. 300 E St. SW — National Aeronautics and Space Administration news conference: “Moon Base plans and highlight progress toward a sustained presence on the lunar surface,” with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman; Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; and Carlos Garcia-Galan, program executive of Moon Base https://www.youtube.com/@NASA/streams
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy CSIS-CSDS Transatlantic Dialogue: “The Indo-Pacific,” with Michito Tsuruoka, professor, Keio University; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; Luis Simon, nonresident senior associate, CSIS Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program; Max Bergmann, director, CSIS Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program; Kristi Govella, CSIS Japan chair; Eva Pejsova, CSDS Japan chair; and Nicholas Szechenyi, CSIS Japan chair https://www.csis.org/events/2026-csis-csds-transatlantic-dialogue-indo-pacific
3:30 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Who Will Make Money on AI?” with Gabrielle Tran, senior associate for technology and society, Institute for Security and Technology; Daniel Remier, CNAS senior fellow for technology and national security; and Emily Kilcrease, CNAS senior fellow and program director for energy, economics and security https://events.cnas.org/whowillmakemoneyonai
WEDNESDAY | MAY 27
8:30 a.m. 12120 Sunset Hills Rd, Suite 330, Reston, Va. — National Defense Industrial Association Arsenal Forum: “Strategy to Budget: Strengthening collaboration and mutual understanding across the defense industrial base,” with Austin Dahmer, deputy undersecretary of defense for policy; Jules Hurst, undersecretary of defense and CFO. https://www.ndia.org/events/2026/5/27/the-arsenal-forum
10 a.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace book discussion: Security Through Cooperation: Space, Nuclear Weapons, and U.S.-Russia Relations After the Cold War, with former Deputy NATO Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller, nonresident senior fellow at the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/05/space-nuclear-weapons
11 a.m. — Foreign Policy virtual discussion: “Surviving a World Without Rules,” with Mark Leonard, director, European Council on Foreign Relations; and Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief of Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/live/mark-leonard-surviving-chaos
THURSDAY | MAY 28
9 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Protecting Taiwan’s Information and Communication Networks from China’s Attempts to Cut Them Off,” with Bethany Allen, head of China investigations and analysis for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Cyber, Technology and Security Program; Kitsch Liao, associate director, Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub; Bryce Barros, associate fellow of GLOBSEC’s GeoTech Center; Ryan Claffey, research assistant for the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; and Jacob Stokes, senior fellow and deputy director, CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program https://events.cnas.org/taiwansinformationandcommunication
11 a.m. Colorado Springs, Colo. — Vice President JD Vance delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy
1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “The Quad Convenes: Priorities, Partnerships and the Indo-Pacific,” with Luke Collin, principal at the Asia Group; Nishank Motwani, senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute; Tanvi Madan, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Asia Policy Studies; and Richard Rossow, CSIS chair on India and emerging Asia economics https://www.csis.org/events/quad-convenes
FRIDAY | MAY 29
7 p.m. 610 St. SW — Politics & Prose book discussion: The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War, with James Verini, writer, the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic; William Taylor, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; and Ukraine Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna; https://politics-prose.com/james-verini-052926
