U.S. disables two more Iranian tankers off Oman; sanctions strike Chinese firms arming Iran.
Voices
“U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran.”
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander · May 81
“The safe removal of all enriched uranium from Venezuela sends another signal to the world of a restored and renewed Venezuela.”
Brandon Williams, NNSA Administrator · May 85
“Using U.S. soil as a staging ground for a violent plot overseas is a grave violation of our laws and, more fundamentally, our sovereignty.”
AAG John A. Eisenberg, DOJ National Security Division · May 88
Significant items
- Hormuz blockade. Navy F/A-18s from USS George H.W. Bush disabled Iranian-flagged tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda in the Gulf of Oman by striking their smokestacks; CENTCOM has now redirected over 50 vessels under the U.S. blockade of Iran.1May 8 · CENTCOM
- Iran-China sanctions. State and Treasury sanctioned 14 entities and individuals across Iran, China, Belarus, and the UAE — including China-based satellite firms (MizarVision, The Earth Eye, Chang Guang) that supplied imagery enabling Iran’s strikes on U.S. forces during Operation Epic Fury.2May 8 · State
- Lebanon-Israel talks. Washington will host two days of intensive Israeli-Lebanese negotiations May 14–15 to advance a peace and security agreement, building on the April 23 round led personally by President Trump; full Hizballah disarmament named as precondition.3May 8 · State
- Yemen emergency. Trump extended for one more year the 2012 national emergency over Yemen, citing the Houthis’ ongoing threat to U.S. national security and the country’s political process; sanctions framework continues past May 16.4May 8 · WH
- Venezuela uranium. NNSA removed 13.5 kg of highly enriched uranium from Caracas’s mothballed RV-1 research reactor and shipped it via a U.K.-supplied carrier to the Savannah River Site — weeks after Energy Sec. Wright’s February site visit.5May 8 · DOE
- China telecom curb. FCC opened a rulemaking to strip companies on the U.S. national-security “Covered List” of automatic authorization to provide domestic interstate telecom service; comments due June 8.6May 8 · FCC
- Pacific dialogue. Second U.S.–Papua New Guinea Strategic Partnership Dialogue concluded in Port Moresby; the U.S. announced $30 million for satellite-internet build-out at remote PNG health, education, and disaster sites alongside critical-minerals talks.7May 7 · State
- DOJ v. Moïse plotters. Miami federal jury convicted Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages for material support to the July 7, 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse — the first U.S. trial verdict in the conspiracy.8May 8 · DOJ
- ATF firearms package. ATF issued ten interlocking firearms rules in one Federal Register filing — cutting NFA tax rates per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, streamlining Form 4473, authorizing electronic record-keeping, and redefining “willful.”9May 8 · DOJ
Sources
- U.S. Central Command, “U.S. Disables 2 More Vessels Violating Blockade in Gulf of Oman,” May 8, 2026. centcom.mil/…/disables-2-more-vessels-gulf-of-oman
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Disrupting Iran’s Overseas Military Procurement Networks” (Press Statement & Fact Sheet), May 8, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/disrupting-irans-overseas-military-procurement
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Next Meeting Between the Governments of the United States, Lebanon, and Israel,” May 8, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/u-s-lebanon-israel-next-meeting
- Federal Register, “Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Yemen,” published May 11, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/continuation-yemen-emergency
- U.S. Dept. of Energy / NNSA, “NNSA Removes Highly Enriched Uranium from Venezuela, Reducing Risk to South America and the U.S. Homeland,” May 8, 2026. energy.gov/nnsa/…/heu-removed-from-venezuela
- Federal Register (FCC NPRM), “Protecting Against National Security Threats in Domestic Telecommunications Service,” May 8, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/fcc-domestic-telecom-ns-npr
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement on the United States – Papua New Guinea Strategic Partnership Dialogue,” May 8, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/u-s-png-strategic-partnership-dialogue
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Four Defendants Convicted in Plot to Kill Haitian President Jovenel Moïse,” May 8, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/moise-plot-convictions
- Federal Register (ATF), “Changes to National Firearms Act Tax Remittance Provisions,” with nine companion ATF rules and NPRMs (Form 4473, willfulness, electronic record-keeping, NFA transport, mental-defective definition, dual-use receivers, FTZ activity, PATRIOT Act tobacco), May 8, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/atf-nfa-tax-remittance-and-companion-rules