Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico while it competes in the World Cup. Although Iran will still play its group stage matches in the United States, its base has been moved to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California. Sheinbaum said that FIFA approached her government after the United States said it did not want Iran’s team to remain in the country for the duration of the tournament. Iran will play two group stage matches in the Los Angeles area and one in Seattle. BREAKING: Iran’s soccer team has moved its base camp for the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, the president of the Iran Football Federation said. https://t.co/Y9QvcEP47o — The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2026 More from the Associated Press: Sheinbaum said at a news conference Monday that she was told by a FIFA representative the U.S. was reluctant to have the Iranian soccer team spend time outside the games on U.S. territory. “The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. She said a FIFA representative had then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?” “And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that’,” she said. Iran’s soccer team is slated to play matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium six days later, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. Before the war broke out, the team was originally planned to set up its base in Tucson, Arizona. But with tensions simmering, Iran’s team moved its base to Tijuana in Mexico, Sheinbaum said, confirming an announcement by the Iranian federation over the weekend. The federation said the Iranians had received approval from FIFA, which made the move official on Monday when it released the lists of all 48 base camp sites. Iran’s national team is currently preparing for the tournament in Turkey. “Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali also confirmed world football’s governing body has said the Iran squad will be given visas to play in the US this summer,” BBC stated. “The Fifa president promised us that all our players would receive visas. There is no reason why our players should not receive visas,” Donyamali said, according to the outlet. Watch Sheinbaum below: NEW: “We have no reason to deny the possibility of them staying in Mexico…” @Claudiashein says Mexico has agreed to host Iran’s national team during the World Cup after she says the U.S. refused to allow the team to stay overnight. She says FIFA is reviewing the option to have… pic.twitter.com/R4a8wTvGJX — Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 25, 2026 BBC shared further: The Iranian FA (FFIRI) had presented Fifa with a list of 10 conditions for their participation at the World Cup, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to receive visas. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iran’s players will be welcome at the tournament but individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions. Taj was one of a number of FFIRI officials turned away at the Canadian border before April’s Fifa annual congress in Vancouver with Canada’s immigration minister telling parliament his visa was cancelled because of links to the IRGC. Some members of the squad went to the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to submit visa applications for the tournament.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed paperwork to run in the 2028 congressional election less than one week after losing in the GOP primary for the 2026 midterms. “I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race. This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office,” Massie’s campaign X account stated. “I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run,” it continued. I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race. This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office. I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run. pic.twitter.com/heHxDnu31o — Thomas Massie for Congress (@MassieforKY) May 25, 2026 WLWT has more: That statement comes one day after Massie spoke with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, saying he is keeping his options open for future races. “I won’t rule anything out,” said Massie. “I won’t rule out a run for county commissioner. I used to be the county judge-executive here. That was probably the best job I ever had in politics. I would encourage people watching this show to act locally and to run for local offices. We can make a difference. There’s 3,000 counties in this country. Run for one of those offices. We got to change it at the grassroots first.” Massie, a Republican, lost last Tuesday’s primary election to Ed Gallrein, who President Trump backed in the most expensive U.S. House primary in history. “I’ve been in Congress 14 years, fighting. Every hour that passes, I get decompressed a little bit more. It’s like coming up from the bottom of the ocean. And I’ll take some time and decide what’s next. But I think I will stay engaged in some way or shape,” Massie said. Watch below: Thomas Massie Says He Will Not Rule Out a 2028 Presidential Run via NBC pic.twitter.com/QUxCbl13be — OSZ (@OpenSourceZone) May 24, 2026 Massie teased a 2028 presidential run during his concession speech after Tuesday’s GOP primary. A crowd of Massie supporters chanted, “2028!” “What happens in 2028? You want me to run for Congress again?” Massie asked the crowd. The crowd chanted, “President!” “You made a compelling argument. You spoke your peace. But I need a medical margarita right now. And we’ll talk about it later,” he said. Watch below: NOW: Thomas Massie's election party attendees demand he runs for president CROWD: "2028! 2028!" MASSIE: "What happens in 2028? You want me to run for Congress again?" CROWD: "No! President!" MASSIE: "We'll talk about it later." pic.twitter.com/EDXXMp4dbH — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 20, 2026 More from The Independent: The congressman had characterized the primary race as a “national referendum” on Trump’s influence in his second term and whether the Republican Party can survive without the president. Massie emerged as one of a handful of Republican lawmakers who defied the president’s agenda, drawing fire from Trump over opposition to his “One Big Beautiful Bill” domestic spending package and the war in Iran while fighting with the administration over the release of the government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that blew up into a massive political liability for the president and his allies. Trump responded to that perceived disloyalty by backing Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL whose campaign was heavily supported by pro-Israel interest groups. After his defeat, Massie joked to supporters at his election night party that he “would’ve come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede,” he said. “And it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.”

President Trump’s Justice Department just reopened a wound that the Cuban communist regime has spent nearly 30 years trying to bury. The DOJ announced that it has unsealed a superseding indictment charging former Cuban dictator Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, now 94, and five co-defendants for their alleged roles in the February 24, 1996 shoot-down of two unarmed American civilian aircraft over international waters. The four men killed that day were Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales. They were flying humanitarian missions for Brothers to the Rescue, a group that searched the Florida Straits for Cuban migrants in distress. The Justice Department laid out the heart of the case this way: The indictment charges Castro and the other defendants with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder tied to the 1996 attack. Prosecutors say Cuban military fighter jets, operating under a chain of command overseen by Raul Castro, fired air-to-air missiles at two unarmed civilian Cessna aircraft and destroyed them without warning while they were outside Cuban territory. DOJ also says Brothers to the Rescue was conducting humanitarian flight operations to locate Cuban migrants in distress, and that Cuban intelligence agents had infiltrated the organization and relayed flight-operation information to the Cuban government before the shoot-down. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment on the murder and conspiracy counts. That is the part too many politicians in Washington preferred to leave in the past. Four Americans were killed, and the alleged chain of command led all the way to one of the most infamous names in the Cuban regime. The Justice Department’s own statement made clear that this administration is not treating the victims as a footnote. “Over three decades later, we are committed to holding those accountable for the murders of four brave Americans: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales,” said Acting Attorney General @DAGToddBlanche. The United States and @POTUS will NOT forget… pic.twitter.com/n2e7ZDzEgL — U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) May 20, 2026 Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said senior leadership of the Cuban regime has now been charged in the United States for alleged violence that resulted in American deaths. FBI Director Kash Patel called the indictment a major step toward accountability after three decades, while U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones said the passage of time does not erase murder or weaken the rule of law. The Associated Press added the broader context around Castro’s alleged role and what happened in the air that day: Castro was Cuba’s defense minister when the two small planes were shot down. Brothers to the Rescue had previously dropped pro-democracy leaflets over Cuba, and prosecutors accuse Castro of authorizing deadly force against the group. The indictment says Raul Castro and Fidel Castro were the final decision makers on orders to kill. In February 1996, Raul Castro allegedly ordered Cuban military officials to begin training with Russian-made MiG fighter jets to find, track, and intercept the group’s small planes off the island’s coast. Three Brothers to the Rescue planes left from Miami-Dade County on February 24, 1996. Two unarmed Cessna aircraft were shot down over international waters, outside Cuban airspace, without warning, according to U.S. prosecutors. A third plane escaped after the MiG pilots began following it. Cuban officials dispute the American account, and Cuba’s current president has condemned the indictment as political. The account also notes that the murder and conspiracy charges carry either death or life in prison upon conviction, while acknowledging the practical question of whether Castro will ever appear in a U.S. courtroom. One co-defendant, Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, is already in U.S. custody pending sentencing in an unrelated immigration document case. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The signal from President Trump’s DOJ is still unmistakable. For decades, the Castro regime counted on time, politics, and cowardice to dull the memory of what happened to Costa, Alejandre, de la Pena, and Morales. Now the United States is saying the names again, naming the accused again, and putting the Cuban regime back under a spotlight it badly wanted to escape. President Trump also spoke directly this month about helping the Cuban people, a message that hits differently now that the DOJ has moved on one of the regime’s darkest alleged crimes against Americans. PRESIDENT TRUMP: We have a lot of people in Cuba. We have the CIA there. @SecRubio is from there, so we have a lot of expertise. We’re going to help the Cuban people out. We’re freeing up Cuba. pic.twitter.com/WUY08fgonW — Department of State (@StateDept) May 20, 2026 That is the difference between managing decline and demanding accountability. Previous administrations let this atrocity fade into the background of U.S.-Cuba relations. President Trump’s DOJ just made clear that killing Americans has no expiration date, no diplomatic escape hatch, and no automatic protection because the accused man is old, powerful, or politically inconvenient.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the hantavirus situation is “stable for now.” “So far, 12 cases and three deaths have been reported to @WHO. No additional deaths have been reported since May 2,” Ghebreyesus said. “All passengers and crew remain in quarantine and under close monitoring to ensure they receive care if needed. The situation is stable for now. We continue to remain vigilant and in close contact with all relevant governments,” he added. #Hantavirus update: So far, 12 cases and three deaths have been reported to @WHO. No additional deaths have been reported since May 2. All passengers and crew remain in quarantine and under close monitoring to ensure they receive care if needed. The situation is stable for now.… pic.twitter.com/AdfnrfoKri — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 24, 2026 More from The Independent: The strain of virus that spread on the ship is the Andes virus, the only known hantavirus strain to pass between humans. After all Americans were returned to the U.S., Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said that he had signed a declaration to “support the development and deployment of medical countermeasures related to Andes virus.” “This action helps remove barriers to research and response efforts while we continue monitoring the recent outbreak linked to the South Atlantic cruise ship,” he wrote in his own X post. In the meantime, risk to the general public remains low, Dr. David Fitter, the incident manager for response to the virus at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news briefing last week. “There are no hantavirus cases among the returned to U.S. passengers,” he said. Ghebreyesus said on Friday that there were “no new deaths in 20 days.” “The #Netherlands reported one additional case — a crew member who left the ship in Tenerife, was repatriated, and has been isolating since,” he continued. “The situation is stabilising. @WHO is actively monitoring all quarantined passengers and crew alongside national governments. Surveillance will continue until the incubation period ends for everyone who was on board,” he added. #Hantavirus update:– no new deaths in 20 days;– the #Netherlands reported one additional case — a crew member who left the ship in Tenerife, was repatriated, and has been isolating since;– total number of cases up to date 12, with three deaths (all before 2 May) The situation… — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 22, 2026 The Hill shared further: Argentina’s Ministry of Health said a Dutch couple took part in a bird-watching tour that stopped at a garbage dump and they may have been exposed to infected rats. The couple, along with a German national, contracted the Andes strain and died. Argentinian health officials said a team of scientific experts would be dispatched to investigate the origin of the outbreak, as the MV Hondius departed the country on April 1, the Associated Press previously reported. Seventeen Americans and one British national exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship were quarantined either in Nebraska or Georgia while health officials monitored them for symptoms. Most have not shown symptoms of hantavirus, though one person tested positive without being symptomatic, while another had mild symptoms but did not test positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month that there were no cases of the Andes strain in the U.S. Health officials regularly assured that the outbreak did not resemble the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and emphasized the differences between both viruses when it came to close-contact infection and the incubation period.

President Trump on Monday said several Muslim-majority countries should, at a minimum, sign onto the Abraham Accords as he negotiates an agreement with Iran. “Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that! During my discussions on Saturday with President Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of The United Arab Emirates, Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Minister Ali al-Thawadi, of Qatar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, of Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Türkiye, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, of Egypt, King Abdullah II, of Jordan, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Those Countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!). It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be. The Abraham Accords have proven to be, for the Countries involved (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan), a Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM, even during this time of Conflict and War, with the current Members never even suggesting leaving, or taking so much as even a pause. The reason for this is that the Abraham Accords have been great for them, and will be even better for everybody, and bring true Power, Strength, and Peace to the Middle East for the first time in 5,000 years,” he continued. “I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition,” Trump added. NOW: President Trump has just dropped the ultimate masterpiece of global diplomacy that will rewrite 5,000 years of Middle East history !! President Trump demanded that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan must sign the historic Abraham Accord.… pic.twitter.com/fSTOs2Knkr — Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) May 25, 2026 Full text below: Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that! During my discussions on Saturday with President Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of The United Arab Emirates, Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Minister Ali al-Thawadi, of Qatar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, of Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Türkiye, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, of Egypt, King Abdullah II, of Jordan, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords. Those Countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!). It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be. The Abraham Accords have proven to be, for the Countries involved (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan), a Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM, even during this time of Conflict and War, with the current Members never even suggesting leaving, or taking so much as even a pause. The reason for this is that the Abraham Accords have been great for them, and will be even better for everybody, and bring true Power, Strength, and Peace to the Middle East for the first time in 5,000 years. It will be a Document respected like no other that has ever been signed, anywhere in the World. Its level of Importance and Prestige will be unparalleled! It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit. If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention. In speaking to numerous of the Great Leaders mentioned above, they would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords. Wow, now that would be something special! This will be the most important Deal that any of these Great, but always in Conflict Countries, will ever sign. Nothing in the past, or in the future, will surpass it. Therefore, I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition. The Middle East would be United, Powerful, and Economically Strong, like perhaps no other area, anywhere in the World! By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my Representatives to begin, and successfully complete, the process of signing these Countries into the already Historic Abraham Accords. Thank you for your attention to this matter! “President Trump’s most recent proposal requiring expansion of the Abraham Accords as part of a negotiated settlement to the Iran conflict is simply brilliant and would result in the most significant change in the Middle East in thousands of years,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said. “With Saudi Arabia and others like Pakistan making peace with Israel, the region will know a level of stability never dreamed of before President Trump and will eventually lead to regional integration making the Middle East a powerhouse for economic opportunity and good instead of a powder keg. I expect our Arab allies to embrace this, as well as our friends in Israel, focusing on this task as failure is not an option – which would be a correct analysis,” he continued. President Trump’s most recent proposal requiring expansion of the Abraham Accords as part of a negotiated settlement to the Iran conflict is simply brilliant and would result in the most significant change in the Middle East in thousands of years. With Saudi Arabia and others… — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 25, 2026 Reuters shared further: Trump’s statement reflected an attempt to use Iran ceasefire diplomacy for a wider push around the Abraham Accords, according to a Pakistani source familiar with the matter, who also said the two issues were “not interlinked and cannot be made so.” “Pakistan is under no compulsion to adhere to any such demand,” the source said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office ​also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post. Trump said one or two of the countries he spoke with ​may have a reason for not joining, but most should be “ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, ‌be.” For Saudi ⁠Arabia — the birthplace of Islam and custodian of its two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina – recognizing Israel would be more than just a diplomatic milestone. It is a deeply sensitive national security issue tied to resolving one of the region’s oldest and most intractable conflicts.