Morning Briefing: May 21, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including US President Donald Trump saying he will give diplomatic efforts to permanently end the war on Iran one last chance, the Turkish and US presidents holding a phone call, and the US announcing an indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro.

TOP STORIES

• Trump says he will give diplomatic effort to broker Iran deal 'one shot'

US President Donald Trump said he will give diplomatic efforts to permanently end his war on Iran a last, final chance.

"We're going to give this one shot. I'm in no hurry. You never think: 'Oh, the midterms, I'm in a hurry.' I'm in no hurry,” Trump told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, referring to this fall’s critical midterm congressional elections, where the war could be a pivotal issue.

“I just, ideally, I'd like to see few people killed, as opposed to a lot," he added ahead of a trip to Connecticut.

• Erdogan, Trump discuss regional conflicts, Türkiye-US ties in call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a call with US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed relations as well as regional and global developments.

The Turkish Communications Directorate indicated that Erdogan said the decision to extend a ceasefire with Iran was “a positive development” and expressed confidence that “a reasonable solution to disputed issues is possible.”

He also said Türkiye would continue supporting constructive initiatives to resolve conflicts.

• US announces indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the US Justice Department has filed criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro.

"We are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill US nationals," Blanche said at a ceremony honoring four volunteers killed in 1996 when Cuban jets shot down two planes operated by a Miami-based exile group.

"Mr. Castro and the others are charged with additional crimes as well, including destruction of aircraft and four individual counts of murder,” he said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The US has removed UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Human Rights Francesca Albanese from its Specially Designated Nationals list, according to the US Treasury Department's website.
• Cuba's UN envoy denounced the Israeli treatment of Gaza flotilla members in international waters, rejecting what he called the "impunity" with which Israel commits violations of international law.
• The US military announced that the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the Caribbean amid heightened tensions between the United States and Cuba.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Israel's decision to establish military facilities at a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) compound in occupied East Jerusalem, calling it "wholly unacceptable."
• Türkiye's communications director condemned what he described as aggressive intervention against the Global Sumud aid flotilla in international waters on a mission of mercy to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
• Italy summoned Israel's ambassador to protest the treatment of activists involved in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and demanded the immediate release of nationals still being held, the Foreign Ministry said.
• Russia and China signed 20 documents spanning economy, energy, transport and international cooperation following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
• US Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of ongoing enforcement operations tied to a US maritime blockade, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
• Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced the establishment of a controlled maritime zone in the Strait of Hormuz requiring vessels to coordinate with and obtain authorization from the authority before transiting the strategic waterway.
• Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran for his second visit to Iran in less than a week, the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
• Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Iran aims to "facilitate the exchange of messages" with the US, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
• A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southern Japan, according to the US Geological Survey.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US crude oil inventories down 1.7% in week ending May 15

US commercial crude oil inventories fell by 1.7% in the week ending May 15, according to data released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Inventories declined by 7.9 million barrels to around 445 million barrels, while market expectations had pointed to a decrease of 2.5 million barrels.

Strategic petroleum reserves, which are excluded from commercial crude stocks, fell by 9.9 million barrels to 374.2 million barrels, the data revealed.

• UK eases Russian oil sanctions amid fears over fuel shortages after Hormuz disruption

Britain has eased key sanctions on Russian oil products and liquefied natural gas in a move officials say is necessary to protect fuel supplies as the conflict in the Middle East drives up energy prices.

The waiver, which comes into force on Wednesday, allows greater flexibility around Russian oil refined into diesel and jet fuel in third countries amid mounting concerns over a disruption to global energy markets following the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.