Six M1A2T Abrams assigned to the 584th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Taiwanese Army cross a key strategic bridge in the Hsinchu County of Northwestern Taiwan, amid a snap wartime readiness reconnaissance exercise aimed at countering continued military pressure from China.

A significant increase in automatic identification system (AIS) spoofing activity is currently occurring in the Persian Gulf, particularly northwest of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). AIS spoofing involves the transmission of false vessel location, identity, or navigation data, often creating the appearance of ships operating in locations where they are not actually present, such as this grouping of dozens of vessels in the same position. Recent monitoring indicates that spikes in spoofing activity have preceded announcements of military strikes, security incidents, or other regional operations in the past.

The UK Ministry of Defense has announced and published footage of an interception last month of a British RC-135W “Rivet Joint” Signals Intelligence Aircraft in international airspace over the Black Sea by a Su-35 and Su-27 with the Russian Air Force. During the interception, which the British Royal Air Force called “dangerous” and “reckless,” the Russian military jets flew several times in front of the RC-135, approaching as close as six meters and triggering onboard emergency systems, while the surveillance aircraft continued with its mission in support of NATO’s Eastern Front.

NASA will host a news conference next Tuesday, May 26, at its headquarters in Washington, attended by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, to share plans for a Moon Base and highlight progress toward the first sustained presence on the lunar surface by the United States.

BLKCAT5, a U.S. Navy MQ-4C “Triton” High-Altitude Surveillance Drone is returning to Naval Station Mayport in Florida, following a several-hour-long mission off the northwestern and southwestern coasts of Cuba as well as over the Yucatán Channel.

Beijing is holding up a proposed visit this Summer by Pentagon officials, including Elbridge Colby, Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, as China attempts to pressure President Donald J. Trump over a major advanced weapons package - worth over $14 billion - for Taiwan, according to an exclusive report by the Financial Times.

According to Reuters, citing people with knowledge on the matter, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to attend the upcoming G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France next month. Per the sources, Syria’s role as a guest nation will likely revolve around Syria’s future role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains.” As many nations have already dropped terrorism designations and lifted sanctions since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, this news marks the next step in Syria’s reintegration into the global economy and geopolitical frameworks.

Iran Negotiations Update:
ICOD- 07:54, May 21, 2026

Reports are now coming in that makes the likelihood of a tenable U.S.-Iran deal low.

According to I24 News, citing sources with knowledge on the matter, the U.S. has assured Israel that any deal with Iran would include the full removal of enriched uranium from Iran. However, earlier today, reports from Reuters, citing senior Iranian officials, said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had directed senior Iranian decision-makers not to accede to a deal that allowed Iran’s near weapons grade uranium out of the country.

This, as Pakistan’s principal decision-maker Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to visit Iran tomorrow, as U.S. President Donald J. Trump says that the time to make a deal with Iran is fast closing.

According to Reuters, citing senior Iranian officials, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday ordered that Iran’s stockpile of highly-enriched near-weapons-grade uranium should not leave the country as it may make Iran more vulnerable to further attacks by Israel and the United States.

The U.S. State Department has issued a Worldwide Travel Alert, announcing that effective May 21, 2026, all American citizens and lawful permanent residents bound for the United States who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival must only reenter the country through Washington Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening, amid the escalating outbreak of Ebola in Central Africa. Americans should be prepared for flight changes or cancellations in relation to the outbreak in Africa.

Following reports of explosions on Iran’s Qeshm Island, reports now state that local authorities have said the explosions were the result of the destruction of unexploded munitions.

In the latest poll by Fox News, support for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has fallen to an all time low, with 60% of Americans opposing current and further military action towards Iran.

The White House has told Fox News that recent reports from Reuters on the supreme leader’s edict to Iranian decision-makers not to accede to a deal where enriched uranium is moved out of Iran are untrue and that as of yet, no decision has been made on the matter by both sides.

According to a release from U.S. Central Command, since the start of the U.S. blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports, 94 vessels have been redirected and 4 have been subjected to disabling fire to ensure compliance with directives.

A senior Iranian official has told Al Jazeera English that previous reports from Reuters surrounding a directive not to allow enriched material out of Iran are untrue, compounding on reports from Fox News that White House officials said the same thing.

Iran is in serious discussions with Oman on the establishment of a permanent toll system that will formalize its control of commercial maritime traffic, including oil and gas shipments, through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Bloomberg interview Wednesday with the Iranian Ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin-Nejad.

Iran’s military is reconstituting much faster than initially estimated, to include the reconstruction of missile sites, launchers and production capacity for key weapons systems destroyed during the current conflict, as four sources familiar with U.S. intelligence tell CNN that Iran has already restarted some of its drone production and could fully reconstitute its drone attack capability as soon as November.

According to a release by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N), over the past 24 hours, a total of 31 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, crossed through the Strait of Hormuz with coordination and security provided by the IRGC Navy.

Speaking to reporters earlier about the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in Central Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed reports that a commercial flight operated by Air France that was bound for Detroit, was diverted last night to Montreal, Canada after it was discovered a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was “accidentally” allowed to board in Paris.

Speaking earlier in the Oval Office, President Trump called the ballroom being constructed to replace the White House East Wing a “gift,” while adding that it will have bulletproof glass and walls, along with a “drone port” which Trump says was supposed to be Top Secret.

General Francis L. Donovan, the Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), is currently meeting at the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean between Cuba and the United States, sources tell MS NOW.