The Trump administration has revoked a Biden-era policy requiring the U.S. government to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons, officials confirmed on Monday.
The Trump administration has scrapped National Security Memorandum-20 (NSM-20), a policy introduced by former President Joe Biden in February 2024 to ensure oversight of U.S. weapons used by foreign allies in conflict zones.
NSM-20 required the U.S. government to assess whether American-supplied arms were being used in compliance with international humanitarian law and to report findings to Congress. It was implemented amid scrutiny over Israel’s use of U.S. weapons in its military operations in Gaza.
In May 2024, a report under NSM-20 found that Israel may have breached international law, but U.S. officials said they could not confirm specific violations due to the complexities of war. The Trump administration would have been required to issue its own findings in the coming months, but the repeal of NSM-20 removes that obligation.
The Washington Post first reported the decision, citing an order from White House national security adviser Michael Waltz on February 21. While Reuters could not independently verify the order, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the matter confirmed the directive was revoked.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a leading advocate for congressional oversight of U.S. arms sales, condemned the move, calling it “shameful.”
“It’s a disservice to our national security, to global human rights, and to our standing around the world,” Van Hollen said in a statement. He also argued the repeal weakens transparency on how taxpayer-funded weapons are used abroad.
The decision comes as part of Trump’s broader review of Biden-era national security policies, including those related to military aid. The White House has not commented on the repeal, while the State Department referred questions back to the administration.
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Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations against Islamic State since 2016, the Transport Ministry said.
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United States.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
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