Three national emergencies, three one-year extensions, all signed within a week of each other. President Trump notified Congress in early May 2026 that the emergencies covering Yemen, the Central African Republic and the stabilization of Iraq will each run another year.
Central African Republic and Iraq
The first two notices are dated May 4, 2026 and appeared in the Federal Register on May 7. The Central African Republic emergency goes back to Executive Order 13667 of May 12, 2014, which cited a breakdown of law and order, intersectarian tension, widespread violence and atrocities, and the often forced recruitment of child soldiers. The new notice adds a specific accusation. It points to “widespread violence and atrocities committed by Kremlin-linked entities such as the Wagner Group.” The extension carries the emergency one year beyond May 12, 2026.
Iraq’s emergency is older. Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003 created it, and the 2026 notice says “obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat.” The notice also references related orders, among them EO 13290 of March 20, 2003 and EO 13668 of May 27, 2014.
Yemen
The Yemen notice was signed May 7 and published May 11. Executive Order 13611 declared that emergency on May 16, 2012, aimed at those obstructing Yemen’s political transition and the agreement of November 23, 2011 on a peaceful transfer of power. Today the text names a different actor. The notice says the actions of Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, “continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” Without the extension, the emergency would have lapsed after May 16, 2026.
All three notices cite section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, and the Yemen and Central African Republic emergencies were declared under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Iran sanctions the same week
Separately, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on 10 individuals and companies it says support Iran’s military procurement, Tribune India reported on May 9. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “we will continue to act to keep America safe and target foreign individuals” who help Iran’s military obtain weapons. The designations reach entities across West Asia, Asia and Eastern Europe, with companies in China, Hong Kong and Belarus among them. They touch the IRGC, Shahed-series drones and ballistic missile programs. U.S.-based assets are blocked, and foreign financial institutions dealing with the designated parties face the threat of secondary sanctions.
Sources
- Notice: Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Yemen
- Federal Register: Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Central African Republic (FR Doc 2026-09175)
- Federal Register: Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq (FR Doc 2026-09176)
- Federal Register: Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Yemen (FR Doc 2026-09385)
- New US sanctions target Iran's military procurement networks under Trump's "Economic Fury" campaign
