This is the Intelligence Feed.
Dispatch Washington · May 17, 2026 The United States announced on May 15 that the Israel-Lebanon cessation of hostilities, originally established April 16, will run an additional 45 days. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the extension, stating that the "April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress."…
Dispatch Washington · May 17, 2026 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled the planned nine-month rotation of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland this week, halting the overseas movement of more than 4,000 soldiers and their equipment after the unit had already begun deploying. Two officials told the Associated Press the…
Dispatch Washington · May 17, 2026 President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on May 16 that a 20-year moratorium on Iran's nuclear program would be sufficient for a deal, a public break from his administration's longstanding position that Iran must permanently and irreversibly dismantle all enrichment capacity. The shift allows for Iran…
Dispatch Washington · May 17, 2026 President Donald Trump departed Beijing on May 16 without committing to a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he would "make a determination over the next fairly short period" after two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. [1][2] The statement…
Dispatch Washington · May 17, 2026 Ali al-Zaidi was sworn in as Iraq's prime minister on May 14, 2026, taking office against a backdrop of direct U.S. pressure and a parallel Justice Department counterterrorism action that illustrated precisely why Washington wants his cooperation. Al-Zaidi assumed office with only a partial cabinet after lawmakers failed to…
Dispatch Washington · May 16, 2026 Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet on Thursday, stating he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership and that remaining in government would be “dishonourable and unprincipled.” The move was widely read as a precursor to a formal leadership challenge, and Streeting became the first…
DispatchWashington · May 16, 2026 The U.S. Commerce Department has approved approximately 10 Chinese technology companies to purchase Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips under export licenses granted pursuant to the Export Administration Regulations, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. [1][2] Named buyers include Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and JD.com, with distributors Lenovo and Foxconn…
Dispatch Washington · May 16, 2026 U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 14 that Iran retains residual military capability even as the Trump administration has publicly characterized Operation Epic Fury as a comprehensive success. Cooper, the commander of Central Command, made his first appearance before…
Dispatch Washington · May 16, 2026 President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded the first day of a two-day summit in Beijing on May 14 with readouts from each government that highlighted sharply different agendas. Trump arrived focused on trade, agriculture, and commerce, while Xi used the sessions to press hard on Taiwan…
Dispatch Washington · May 16, 2026 Israel and Lebanon concluded the third round of U.S.-brokered direct negotiations at the State Department on May 14 and 15, with a senior State Department official characterizing the eight-hour first session as "productive and positive," but substantive gaps over Hezbollah's disarmament remain unresolved [1][2]. The talks, the highest-level direct…