According to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the UAE is planning to withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the OPEC+ frameworks, effective May 1. Per the release, the “decision comes following a thorough review of the United Arab Emirates' production policy and its current and future capabilities, and in light of what national interests require and the state's commitment to contributing effectively to meeting the market's pressing needs.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has published video showing U.S. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) boarding the M/V Blue Star 3, which was suspected of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. Following the boarding, U.S. forces determined the ship's itinerary would not include an Iranian port call and released the ship in the Arabian Sea.

With both Iran and the United States still in a deadlock over peace negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, citing issues surrounding the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Traders on Polymarket are predicting that the issue will not be resolved soon, with only a 36% chance that normal traffic will return to the Hormuz Strait by the end of May.

U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott has confirmed earlier reporting by the Bulwark, announcing that the U.S. is set to release limited numbers of new passports with the visage of President Donald J. Trump to commemorate the United States’ 250th Anniversary.

According to Reuters, citing two U.S. officials with knowledge on the matter, agencies within the U.S. intelligence community have been given the direction of assessing the likelihood that Iranian decision-makers will react adversely if U.S. President Donald J. Trump declares a “unilateral” victory and moves to pull back from previous commitments to a conflict with the Gulf Nation.

The White House has released a photo of King Charles III and U.S. President Donald J. Trump with the caption “TWO KINGS.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has told his aids to prepare for an extended U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Per the report, President Trump sees pulling out of the conflict or resuming combat operations against Iran as far more risky than continuing to blockade vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. This news follows reporting that the intelligence community was given direction to assess the risk of declaring a unilateral victory and pulling back from the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Pentagon is considering outsourcing warship design and building to Korea and Japan with a proposed $1.85 billion feasibility study into the project within the proposed budget for 2027, with the study to look at the feasibility of adopting or co-producing advanced hulls such as Japan’s Mogami-class and Korea’s Daegu-class frigates to supplement the U.S. Navy, according to USNI News.

His Majesty, King Charles lll joked about the ongoing construction on the White House’ East Wing during tonight State Dinner alongside President Trump, telling guests: “And if I may say so, it is a particular pleasure to be back in this wonderful building, the heart of your democracy. On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year. And I'm sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.”

King Charles lll continues with his jokes during tonight’s White House State Dinner: “This said, our French friends can feel equally at home with a glance at a map. Indeed, you recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a plan for a wave of “short and powerful” strikes against Iran in hopes of breaking the current deadlock in peace negotiations, though President Trump had yet to order any kinetic action as of Tuesday, three sources with knowledge told Axios.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has told Axios that he's going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the regime agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program, rejecting an Iranian proposal to first open the Strait of Hormuz and lift the blockade, while postponing potential nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can't have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told Axios.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in his opening remarks this morning in front of the House Armed Services Committee for the administration’s requested $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, attacked members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, for not supporting the ongoing war against Iran:

“President Trump, unlike other presidents, has had the courage to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, and he's ironclad in that. We have the best negotiator in the world driving that deal. The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of Congressional Democrats and some Republicans two months in, I remind you, two months in to a conflict. Lest I remind you, and my generation understands how long we were in Iraq, how long we were in Afghanistan, how long we were in Vietnam. Two months in on an existential fight for the safety of the American people, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. We are proud of this undertaking. I am proud that President Trump was have the courage to do it and I look forward to sharing more about what our troops have accomplished. So I thank you again for the opportunity to address this committee. I ask that God would continue to watch over our troops in harm's way. And those that have fallen are always in our memory, and we fight to ensure their legacy. Look forward to answering the questions of this committee.”

Full opening remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during today’s hearing in front of the House Armed Services Committee on the $1.7 trillion defense budget requested by the administration for 2027:

U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a roughly one and a half hour long phone call this morning, according to the Kremlin, with discussions focusing around Iran and the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

During today’s phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed President Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran, while warning of “extremely harmful consequences” if Israel and the United States resumed strikes against the Islamic Republic, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and her Carrier Strike Group, which have been deployed now for over 300 days, far surpassing the record for the longest aircraft carrier deployment since the Vietnam War, will depart from the Red Sea in the coming days to begin the journey back to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, following last week’s arrival of the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) in the Middle East near Iran, officials tell the Washington Post.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump meets with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the crew of Artemis ll, consisting of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, this afternoon inside the White House Oval Office.