\Weekend Recap\: 🇺🇸 \Trump declares Iran hostilities "terminated"\
By Bernie,
Trump sent formal letters to congressional leaders declaring that "the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," moving to bypass the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline without seeking authorization. The administration's position is that no exchange of fire between U.S. forces and Iran has taken place since the April 7 ceasefire, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling lawmakers the ceasefire pauses or stops the 60-day clock. Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Florida, Trump went further, arguing that the law itself is unconstitutional. "Let me just tell you, on the war powers, so many presidents, as you know, have gone and exceeded it. It's never been used. It's never been adhered to. And every other president considered it totally unconstitutional. And we agree with that," Trump said.
🇮🇷 \Trump rejects Iran proposal as Hormuz pressure continues\
Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal after Tehran sent a revised response through Pakistani mediators. "I'm not satisfied with it. We'll see what happens," Trump said. Officials familiar with the proposal described it as calling for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen and the U.S. blockade to be lifted before nuclear talks resumed. The U.S. Treasury issued an alert warning shippers that payments to Iran for transit through the strait could trigger sanctions regardless of payment method, including cash, digital assets, swaps, in-kind arrangements, charitable donations, or embassy channels. U.S. Central Command said 48 commercial ships have been turned back since the blockade began. A person briefed on a meeting between Trump and oil executives said the two sides discussed the possibility of a months-long blockade.
🇮🇷 \Tehran's response\
Iranian military official Mohammad Jafar Asadi said renewed conflict with the United States is "likely." Iranian state media quoted Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei calling for new Iranian "management" rules over the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and the IRGC Navy pledged to act in line with his directive.
🇱🇧 \Lebanon\
The IDF said the Israeli air force struck Hezbollah infrastructure across southern Lebanon over the weekend, hitting sites it described as weapons storage and attack-preparation facilities. The IDF intercepted a projectile fired toward Israeli troops in southern Lebanon Saturday afternoon, with no Israeli injuries in that incident.
⚓ \USS Gerald R. Ford departs\
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has left the Middle East after a deployment of roughly 10 months and is now in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, U.S. officials confirmed, with a return to Virginia projected for mid-May. Twenty U.S. Navy vessels remain in the region, including the carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush.
🇵🇸 \Hamas leadership vote\
Sources close to Hamas told regional outlets that the group has resumed the process of selecting a new political bureau chief after delays earlier this year, with Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal identified as the leading candidates. The picture is mixed: AFP sources described the internal elections as already complete, while a Saudi-owned outlet quoted Hamas sources later describing the process as resumed and still pending. Hamas has not announced a final result.
🇮🇱 \Flotilla follow-up\
Israel's Foreign Ministry announced that the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla had been completed, with 175 activists brought to Israel for processing and deportation. Kan reported that Israeli naval forces took control of more than 20 vessels at sea, with dozens of other boats turning back toward Crete after Israeli warnings. The Foreign Ministry identified Saif Abu Keshk and Thiago Ávila as two organizers taken for questioning. Israeli officials accused Abu Keshk of links to Hamas through the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, while Ávila is being questioned over what officials described as illegal activity. AP identified Abu Keshk as a dual Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin and Ávila as a Brazilian citizen. Spain called the detention of its citizen in international waters illegal and demanded his release.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
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