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President Trump: "No Hurry" to Make Deal with Iran + Report: Iranian Missile Strike on US Base in Kuwait Wounds Five Americans; Two MQ-9 Reaper Drones Destroyed or Badly Damaged + IDF Captures Beaufort Castle in S. Lebanon May 31, 2026

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For review:

1. US SOUTHCOM X: SOUTHCOMCommander Gen. Francis L. Donovan (USMC) personally inspected all aspects of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay’s security posture, leading a comprehensive perimeter security assessment and discussing force protection, operational readiness, and measures to ensure the safety and security of service members, their families, and the joint force stationed at the installation with base officials.

2. US President Donald Trump put off his decision on the memorandum of understanding with Iran after demanding his team secure more concessions on Iran’s nuclear program.

3. The US military stopped a merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, the US Central Command said on Saturday.

The Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star ignored more than 20 warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, the military said.

4. Bloomberg: An Iranian ballistic missile strike has targeted a major US military hub in Kuwait on Saturday, May 30, wounding multiple personnel and destroying high-value aviation assets.

According to intelligence and military sources, Iran deployed a Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile targeting the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

5. CNN: Iran has salvaged entrances to dozens of missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, a Sunday report said, as the Islamic Republic continues to rebuild its military infrastructure amid ceasefire talks with the US.

Citing satellite images, Iran has been able to dig out 50 of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 separate underground missile facilities across the country. It has also repaired other damaged areas of those bases, including key access roads that the US and Israel bombed during the war.

6. Israel captured the historic Beaufort Castle and the surrounding strategic ridge as it pushed deeper into Lebanon, the IDF announced on Sunday.

7. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses the Shangri-La dialouge on May 30, 2026. The head of the Pentagon called on U.S. Western Pacific allies to maintain military strength and called on China not to disrupt the regional equilibrium while praising the current state of affairs between Washington and Beijing.

8. Japan’s defense minister has pushed back against Chinese allegations that Japan’s push to broaden regional defense cooperation was “new militarism,” saying that Tokyo’s increased defense spending and broader regional footprint has been conducted in a transparent fashion with regional security in mind.

No Final Determination on US - Iran MOU + Israel Continues Air and Ground Operations North of Litani River + US SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with Cuban Military Officials May 29, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. The head of the U.S. military's Southern Command met with top Cuban military officials Friday at the edge of the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Friday that troops of the IDF’s 36th Division have crossed Lebanon’s Litani River.

PM Netanyahu: “Our forces crossed the Litani, and they’ve advanced to the dominating terrain,” Netanyahu said on a visit to troops on the northern border. “We’re also operating in Beirut, and in the Beqaa, across the entire front, and hitting Hezbollah hard.”

3. The International Stabilization Force for Gaza was announced with great aplomb at the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in February.

Three months on, none of the five countries that pledged troops have made any significant contributions. Hamas has refused to disarm and Israel has seized more territory while continuing to strike terror targets.

4. US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was entering the White House Situation Room to make a “final determination” on a MOU to extend the ceasefire with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

5. The proportion of vessels not linked to Iranian ownership that are transiting the Strait of Hormuz has risen, according to data from maritime firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence shared Thursday.

6. The United Arab Emirates launched dozens of airstrikes in Iran in the first days of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and after the ceasefire in April was announced, according to a WSJ report published Friday.

7. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Thursday that Europe cannot combine its strong backing for Ukraine with a neutral mediator role in future peace talks, as EU foreign ministers met informally in Lemesos, Cyprus.

8. NATO accused Moscow on Friday of reckless behavior and pledged to “defend every inch of Allied territory” after Romania said a Russian drone had crashed into an apartment block in the alliance member state during an attack on neighboring Ukraine.

Russia’s TASS news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the incident.

New US Strikes Against Iran; Second Attack This Week + Israel Kills Newly Appointed Hamas Military Chief in Gaza City + IDF Combat Operations North of Litani River May 27, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. The Pentagon has spent months positioning the troops and weapons needed for the U.S. to launch a military attack on Cuba — all it needs is a final go-ahead from the President.

2. The US military carried out new strikes overnight Wednesday-Thursday in Iran, targeting a military site that officials believed posed a threat to US forces and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official tells Reuters.

US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines on Monday, US Central Command said, as top Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks to end the war.

3. US President Donald Trump indicated during a Wednesday cabinet meeting that progress in talks with Iran on a deal to end the war had slowed, departing from his assertion at the start of the week that an agreement was nearly finalized.

4. Hamas on Wednesday confirmed the death of Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of the terror group’s military wing, who Israel killed in a strike in Gaza City.

5. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that Israel is “intensifying operations” in Lebanon by taking strategic positions and reinforcing the security buffer zone as the IDF pushed past the lines it held as it seeks to counter the recent surge in drone attacks by Hezbollah.

6. Ukraine is urging the EU to help negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a topic that will be discussed in detail at an informal meeting of European foreign ministers in Cyprus.

Ukraine's foreign minister has told the BBC that Kyiv is keen to introduce some "new dynamics" into the negotiation process.

7. The U.S. intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a crisis, including fighter jets, warships and mid-air refueling aircraft, German news outlet Spiegel reported.

8. North Korea test fired a newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapons systems on Tuesday, state media Korean Central News Agency reported.

North Korea’s state media did not disclose the exact nature of the special mission warhead, but imagery released shows the tactical ballistic missile being the Hwasong 11-D tactical ballistic missiles capable of carrying conventional explosive, fragmentation, submunition, chemical or nuclear warheads.

Latest on US - Iran Negotiations and Deal + Israel Ramping Up Strikes Against Hezbollah May 25, 2026

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For review:

1. Latest on US - Iran Negotiations and Deal.

2. Israel Ramping Up Strikes Against Hezbollah

President Trump: Iran Deal To Be Released Soon + President Trump Announces Deployment of 5000 Troops to Poland + US Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Operating in SOUTHCOM AOR May 23, 2026

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For review:

1. The U.S deployed the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying strike group into Caribbean waters this week.

2. US President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that the US and Iran were finalizing a deal to end the war.

Iran has agreed to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of an agreement with the US to end the war, two US officials tell the New York Times.

3. The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it hit Hezbollah sites in the terror group’s strongholds in south and east Lebanon overnight following evacuation warnings.

4. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on May 22, that peace negotiations regarding Ukraine are currently suspended, though Washington remains ready to resume its mediating role if future discussions prove constructive.

5. Poland will receive its first batch of F-35 stealth fighter jets under a deal signed with the United States.

6. On Thursday, President Trump said in a Truth Social post he was "pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland."

It wasn't clear whether the troops would be based in the country permanently or on a rotational basis.

7. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is casting new doubt on NATO's relevance to the United States after key allies recoiled from backing Washington’s “Operation Epic Fury.”

8. A drone wingman built by General Atomics has resumed flying roughly one month after crashing in the California desert shortly after takeoff.

In a press release Thursday, the company said its YFQ-44A aircraft “returned to flight testing following a round of safety reviews and software enhancements.”

The drone is being developed for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program.

Secretary of State Rubio: Iran's Plan to Toll Ships in Strait "Unfeasible" + US Navy CNO: Escorting Ships in the Strait Exceeds Navy Capacity + Russia Launches Unannounced Three-Day Nuclear Exercise; 200 Missile Launchers; 140 Aircraft; 8 Nuclear Subs May 21, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that there were “good signs” for a deal to end the war with Iran, but that an agreement would be “unfeasible” if Tehran pursues its plan to toll ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

2. WSJ Report: Israel has created a list of all Palestinians who took part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and is working to kill or arrest each one.

3. The Navy doesn’t have the bandwidth to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Navy’s top officer- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle.

4. Russia launched its largest nuclear exercises in years on Tuesday, mobilizing nearly 65,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, 140 aircraft, 73 surface vessels and 13 submarines, including eight strategic nuclear submarines, in a three-day drill that runs through Thursday.

The exercises involve the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation Command, and units from the Leningrad and Central Military Districts, according to the ministry statement. Live launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at ranges inside Russia are planned as part of the drills.

5. The remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper was the workhorse in the U.S. air campaign against Iran, Air Force leaders told Congress on May 20.

6. The carrier-based MQ-25A Stingray reached the milestone C authorization that the Pentagon requires for a program to enter the low-rate initial production stage of acquisition.

President Trump Postpones Attack on Iran + NATO Supreme Allied Commander: Expect Additional US Troop Withdrawals + Report: Cuba Has Acquired Hundreds of Military Drones May 19, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez insisted Cuba "poses no threat" to the United States and doesn't have "aggressive plans or intentions against any country," after Axios reported that the island nation has hundreds of military drones and has been allegedly discussing plans to strike the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay and potentially Florida's Key West.

2. The Republic of Somaliland will open an embassy in Jerusalem, its first anywhere in the world, the state’s ambassador to Israel said Tuesday.

Currently, seven countries have embassies in Jerusalem — the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Fiji.

3. US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had called off a major attack against Iran, which he claimed was slated to take place on Tuesday after Gulf allies assured him that a deal with Tehran was now possible thanks to the renewal of “serious negotiations.”

4. The US State Department has cleared potential military support deals worth a combined $428.2 million for India’s Apache rotary-wing aircraft and M777A2 155mm howitzers.

5. The Trump administration is planning to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the U.S. would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis.

6. NATO Supreme Allied Commander: Europe should “absolutely” expect additional United States troop withdrawals in the future as European NATO allies strengthen their capability to provide more of their own conventional defense.

US & Israel Preparing to Renew Attacks on Iran + IDF Confirms Top Hamas Chief Killed in Gaza City Airstrike + Cuba Publishes Online Family Guide to Survive Potential Enemy Attacks May 17, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Cuba has posted a “family guide” on provincial websites on how to survive “potential enemy attacks,” as the communist-run island reels from US pressure and energy shortages.

The release of the document– comes days after the head of the CIA visited Cuba, an extraordinary step in contact between Washington and Havana.

2. The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday confirmed killing Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the terror group’s leader in Gaza, in a “precise strike” on Gaza City in the Strip’s north the previous day.

3. NYT Report: Israel built two covert bases in Iraq to aid in its wars with Iran.

4. President Trump told Axios in a phone call that "the clock is ticking" for Iran and warned that if the Iranian regime doesn't come with a better offer for a deal "they are going to get hit much harder."

5. NYT Report: Israel and the United States are carrying out their most intense preparations yet to renew attacks on Iran, possibly as soon as next week.

6. Iranian state television said on Saturday that European countries were in talks with Tehran over transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

7. The UK has down-selected a group of four competitors to develop drone wingman aircraft capable of teaming with British Army Apache attack helicopters.

8. Four Navy pilots are safe after their EA-18G Growlers crashed during the Gunfighter Skies air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday. The crash is under investigation.

CIA Director Visits Cuba + Israel Targets Top Hamas Leader in Gaza Strike; Fate Unknown; Initial Indications - Dead + US CENTCOM Commander Appears Before Senate Armed Services Committee May 15, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. CIA Director Ratcliffe met with counterparts from Cuba's Ministry of the Interior on Thursday during a high-level visit to the island nation amid "complex bilateral relations" between the long-time adversaries.

2. President Donald Trump says he has not yet decided whether a major sale of US arms to Taiwan can move forward following his three-day visit to China.

3. Israel said that it had targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the head of the terror group’s military wing, in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday.

A senior Israeli security official told reporters that were “initial indications” that Haddad was killed. The IDF has not yet officially commented on the strike.

4. US President Donald Trump counted “the military decimation of Iran” among his administration’s accomplishments in a social media post on Thursday, adding, “to be continued!”

The phrase, included in a lengthy Truth Social Post suggested he may resume the war against Iran after he returns from his trip to China on Friday.

5. US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would accept a 20-year suspension of the uranium enrichment at the heart of Iran’s rogue nuclear program if Tehran gave a “real” guarantee, in an apparent shift from his previous demand that Iran permanently halt its program and his pledge to ensure Iran can never attain nuclear weapons.

6. US CENTCOM CDR Admiral Brad Cooper appears at SASC Hearing.

Admiral Cooper:

- US has the military power to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

- Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and US interests has been dramatically reduced by US bombings, and Tehran’s defense industry has been set back by 90%.

- Iran was no longer able to transfer arms and other resources to its main allies in the region: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza. “Those transfer paths and methods have been cut off.”

7. The United States on Friday announced a 45-day extension of a porous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as the Iran-backed terror group continued to clash with IDF soldiers and launch missiles and drones into Israeli territory.

8. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party on Thursday began a three-day conference to elect its highest leadership body for the first time in 10 years.

President Trump Arrives in China + Israeli PM Visited UAE in March + Saudi Arabia Conducted Retaliation Strikes Against Iran + Russia to Deploy New Sarmat ICBM in late 2026; Reported Range of 35,000 km May 13, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade, and US arms sales to Taiwan.

2. If Iran does not accept US terms for a deal to end the war and address its nuclear program, the United States will “finish the job,” US President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday.

3. Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US said on Monday the Islamic Republic is “ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression,” as US President Donald Trump reportedly considered restarting the war after negotiations with Tehran reached a dead end.

4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Wednesday that he made a secretive visit to the United Arab Emirates and met with its leader, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, during the US-Israeli war with Iran earlier this year.

5. The heads of Israel’s two main intelligence agencies separately visited the United Arab Emirates in recent months, including during the war with Iran, according to Wednesday reports.

The reported visits are the latest reported signs of increased cooperation between the two countries during the war.

6. Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said.

7. Russia will deploy its new Sarmat strategic nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile at the end of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after his forces tested it on Tuesday, describing the missile as “the most powerful in the world.”

8. US Army has canceled the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division — more than 4,000 soldiers and associated equipment — to Poland.

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