U.S. sanctions Iran's shadow oil network.
Today's events
Iran oil sanctions.
The State Department sanctioned numerous entities, individuals, and vessels moving Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, widening the “maximum pressure” campaign to choke off the oil revenue Tehran uses for regional aggression and terrorism.1May 28 · StateVaccine schedule.
President Trump signed an executive order directing the CDC and its immunization advisory committee to revise the U.S. childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule to align with an HHS review of practices in peer, developed countries.2May 28 · WHNorth Korea ships.
The U.S., nine allied governments, and the European Union urged the U.N. Security Council's sanctions committee to designate seven vessels tied to North Korean coal and iron-ore smuggling, citing fresh evidence of maritime sanctions evasion.3May 29 · StateVietnam trade probe.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer opened an investigation into Vietnam's intellectual-property protection and enforcement under the 1974 Trade Act, after naming Hanoi a “priority foreign country” — a step that can trigger tariffs.4May 29 · USTRGrowth and prices.
The economy grew at a 1.6% annual rate in the first quarter, up from 0.5% in late 2025, the Commerce Department's second estimate showed; the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge rose at a 4.5% pace.5May 28 · BEA
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Ebola response.
The State Department said U.S. funding against the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda has topped $162 million; the U.S., Mexico, and Canada aligned travel-screening for arrivals from the affected region ahead of the World Cup.6May 29 · StateIran terror case.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an eight-count indictment against Mohammad Baqer Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national charged as an operative of Kata'ib Hizballah and Iran's Revolutionary Guard tied to nearly 20 attacks across Europe and the U.S.7May 28 · DOJNuclear cleanup.
The National Nuclear Security Administration removed the last cesium-137 blood irradiator from Lebanon, eliminating high-risk radioactive material that could be used in a dirty bomb.8May 29 · DOEExploited flaw.
CISA added an actively exploited authentication-bypass flaw in Palo Alto Networks' PAN-OS firewall software (CVE-2026-0257) to its catalog, ordering federal agencies to patch.9May 29 · CISA
This week
A $20 billion bid to break China’s mineral grip.
The United States, Japan, Australia and India launched a framework on May 26 to mobilize up to $20 billion across critical-mineral mining, processing and recycling — the week’s clearest structural move against China’s dominance of rare-earth supply chains. It landed alongside a separate U.S.–India minerals framework and an Armenia minerals agreement: three deals in one week aimed at the same single-source dependence.1May 26 · StateA U.S. corridor across the South Caucasus.
In Yerevan on May 26, the U.S. and Armenia announced the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” a multimodal transit corridor, and signed a strategic-partnership charter and a critical-minerals agreement. The package builds on the 2025 Armenia–Azerbaijan peace deal and extends U.S. reach into a region long inside Russia’s orbit.2May 26 · StateThe Iran blockade passed 100 ships.
U.S. Central Command said on May 23 it had redirected 100 commercial vessels since beginning the April 13 maritime blockade of Iran’s ports, with more than 15,000 troops and 200 aircraft and warships committed, four ships disabled and 26 humanitarian transits allowed. The milestone marked a war, now in its 92nd day, settling into a sustained chokehold rather than a single strike.4May 23 · CENTCOMRecord energy exports as pump prices climbed.
The Energy Information Administration reported on May 27 that net U.S. energy exports hit a record 11 quadrillion BTU in 2025, up 20%, led by petroleum and record natural-gas shipments. Yet retail gasoline averaged $4.49 a gallon before Memorial Day — up 42% from a year earlier — which the agency tied to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.6May 27 · EIAA software supply chain breached at the source.
CISA warned on May 28 that a poisoned version of the Nx Console developer extension auto-installed on machines, compromised a GitHub employee and exfiltrated internal repositories, while a parallel “Megalodon” campaign harvested cloud credentials from public code. The agency added actively exploited flaws in widely used firewall and hosting software to its patch-now catalog across the week.7May 28 · CISA
Allied Governments
AUKUS underwater tech.
Britain, the U.S., and Australia announced their first “signature project” under the partnership's advanced-technology pillar at a defense-ministers' meeting in Singapore — jointly developing payloads for uncrewed underwater vehicles, with first capabilities due in 2027.aMay 30 · UK MoDJapan joins Ukraine command.
Japan finalized its contribution of personnel to NATO's Wiesbaden-based command coordinating equipment and training for Ukraine, deepening the alliance's ties to the Indo-Pacific.bMay 29 · NATOFukushima water tests.
Under the IAEA framework, inspectors and laboratories from China, South Korea, Russia, and Switzerland sampled treated water from the Fukushima plant ahead of its release into the sea.cMay 29 · Japan MoFA
Voices
“The United States is taking coordinated action to sever the Iranian regime's access to the revenue streams that fuel its regional aggression and global terrorism.”
Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, State Dept. · May 281
“Al-Saadi has been directly involved in terrorist operations and military decisions to attack U.S. and Israeli interests across the world.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche · May 287
“IP infringement in Vietnam continues to impair the competitive position of U.S. innovators and creators.”
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer · May 294
Show 3 more voices
“Prompt designations are essential to preserving the credibility and effectiveness of the UN sanctions regime.”
Joint Statement on DPRK Sanctions Accountability · May 293
“This coordinated approach aims to protect our citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Joint U.S.–Mexico–Canada statement · May 286
“We're stepping on the accelerator to develop cutting-edge tech to boost our collective deterrence and support our shared security.”
UK Defence Secretary John Healey · May 30a
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of State, “U.S. Continues Maximum Pressure with Sanctions Targeting Iran's Shadow Oil Economy,” May 28, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/iran-shadow-oil-economy
- White House, “Realigning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries,” May 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/childhood-vaccine-recommendations
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement on DPRK Sanctions Accountability,” May 29, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/dprk-sanctions-accountability
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “USTR Announces Section 301 Investigation of Vietnam's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Intellectual Property,” May 29, 2026. ustr.gov/…/section-301-investigation-vietnam
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Gross Domestic Product (Second Estimate) and Corporate Profits, First Quarter 2026,” May 28, 2026. bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-second-estimate-q1-2026
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Ebola Response Update – May 29, 2026,” May 29, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/ebola-response-update
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Dual Iranian-Iraqi National Indicted for Providing Material Support to Terrorist Organizations,” May 28, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/iranian-iraqi-national-indicted
- U.S. Dept. of Energy (NNSA), “NNSA Removes High-Risk Cesium from Lebanon Through Strong Interagency and International Partnerships,” May 29, 2026. energy.gov/nnsa/articles/…/cesium-lebanon
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-0257, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS), May 29, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/kev-cve-2026-0257
- UK Ministry of Defence, “Cutting-edge underwater tech for AUKUS forces to be developed through landmark partnership,” May 30, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/aukus-underwater-tech
- NATO, “Japan deploys personnel to NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine,” May 29, 2026. nato.int/…/japan-deploys-personnel-nsatu
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Additional Measures under the IAEA Framework Related to the Discharge of ALPS Treated Water into the Sea (Results),” May 29, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/alps-treated-water-results