Thursday morning news: May 21, 2026

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Iran latest » The U.S. military boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday.

U.S. forces searched and redirected the vessel after officials suspected it was trying to evade the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.

That blockade is choking Iran’s oil exports. But Iranian state media reported that President Trump had offered to freeze oil sanctions in peace talks.

The president, though, told reporters:

TRUMP: I'm not doing any relief until they sign an agreement. When they sign an agreement, uh, we can get that place built up again and have something that's really a good country for the people. But no, we haven't offered anything.

Trump this week said he had postponed military strikes against Iran that had been planned for this past Monday at the request of Gulf state leaders, seeking more time to negotiate.

But he says time is running out for the Iranian regime.

TRUMP: It's right on the borderline, believe me. If we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go. Uh, we have to get the right answers. It would have to be a complete, 100% good answers. And if we do, we save a lot of time, energy, and lives, most importantly.

Even amid the ongoing ceasefire, Iran is still effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz  nearly three months after the start of the war—leaving more than fifteen hundred commercial vessels stranded.

Putin-Xi meeting » In Beijing:

SOUND: [China ceremony]

Pomp and circumstance Wednesday as Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian leader Vladimir Putin for a state visit.

PUTIN: [Speaking Russian]

Putin called the visit fruitful and successful, and says concrete work was taken on a range of issues, with cooperation on trade, technology, and more.

China became Russia's top trading partner after Moscow invaded Ukraine, though Beijing still claims neutrality in the conflict.

Cuba » A federal grand jury has indicted former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro for murder—over the 1996 shoot-down of two American civilian planes.

The Justice Department unsealed the charges Wednesday in Miami. The now 94-year-old Castro is accused of authorizing the attack. 

Cuban fighter jets fired missiles at two unarmed civilian planes flown by a Florida-based exile group—killing four Americans.

FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia:

RAIA: Four humanitarians were on a noble mission to help those fleeing oppression. Instead, their lives were violently taken in a reckless act by the Cuban regime.

The indictment names five other Cuban defendants—including three of the fighter pilots.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche:

BLANCHE: For nearly 30 years, 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice.

Current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment, calling it a political maneuver without legal foundation.

Wednesday was also Cuba's Independence Day—and Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the moment to address Cubans directly.

RUBIO: [Speaking Spanish]

In a Spanish-language video, the son of Cuban immigrants offered a "new relationship" with the U.S.—but said it had to be with the people of Cuba, not the Castro-linked military business GAESA. 

Rubio also pledged $100 million in food and medicine—to be distributed through the Catholic Church or other charities.

Colorado Hospital ordered to resume minors’ transgender treatments » The Colorado Supreme Court has ordered the state's largest children's hospital to resume puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. 

WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Children's Hospital Colorado halted those procedures in January after the federal Department of Health and Human Services opened an investigation.

The parents of four minors who identify as transgender sued, claiming discrimination. They argued that the hospital still gave puberty blockers to other patients for medical reasons.

The hospital said it was not discriminating and halted the procedures to protect itself from a legal threat.

A judge initially sided with the hospital. But in a 5-to-2 ruling this week, the state Supreme Court reversed that decision. The majority claimed it would harm the children to not receive transgender procedures. And they said that supposed harm outweighs legal risk to the facility.

The hospital said it was considering its next steps. A permanent ruling in the case is still pending in lower courts.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Barney Frank obituary » Longtime Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Barney Frank has died at age 86.

First elected in 1980, Frank served 16 terms.

He was perhaps best known for co-authoring sweeping controversial bank and financial regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. He chaired the House Financial Services Committee at the time and co-wrote the 'Dodd-Frank Act' with Connecticut Democrat Chris Dodd.

Frank was one of the first openly gay members of Congress and was also known for working closely with LGBT activists in Washington.

Frank died Tuesday in Maine, where he had moved after retiring from Congress in 2013.

I'm Kent Covington.

And coming up: Pushing back on businesses that underwrite procedures for gender-confused kids. And later, the story behind one of the most recognizable soft-rock hits of the 70s.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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