U.S. officials cancel Memorial Day plans

President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing on Friday, May 22, for possible new military strikes against Iran, and some U.S. military and intelligence officials canceled Memorial Day weekend plans as contingency work accelerated, according to CBS News. The report said no final decision on strikes had been made by Friday afternoon. It also said defense and intelligence officials had begun updating recall rosters for U.S. installations overseas. Trump, who had planned to spend the holiday weekend at his golf property in New Jersey, was instead expected to return to the White House. ### What exactly was reported about the canceled Memorial Day plans? CBS News reported on May 22 that “some members of the U.S. military and intelligence community canceled their plans for the Memorial Day weekend in anticipation of possible strikes.” The outlet cited several sources with direct knowledge of the planning. It did not identify the officials by name or specify how many people changed plans. Defense and intelligence officials also began updating recall rosters for overseas U.S. installations, CBS said. That is a concrete sign of readiness planning, though the report said no final order to launch strikes had been issued as of Friday afternoon. ### How does this connect to Trump’s earlier comments about an Iran strike? Trump said on May 18 that he had called off a U.S. attack on Iran that had been “scheduled” for the following day, according to CBS News. In a Truth Social post quoted by CBS, Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had asked him to delay action to allow negotiations to continue. The same May 18 report said Trump told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Daniel Caine and the U.S. military to be ready to move “on a moment’s notice” if an acceptable deal was not reached. That earlier statement gives context to the later report that holiday plans were being canceled and recall rosters updated. ### What did the White House say on May 22? White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News that Trump had “made his redlines abundantly clear: Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and they cannot keep their enriched uranium.” Kelly also said, “The President always maintains all options at all times, and it is the job of the Pentagon to be ready to execute any decision the Commander-in-Chief could make.” Those comments did not confirm that strikes had been approved. They did confirm that military planning remained active while talks continued. ### Why were officials updating recall rosters overseas? CBS News reported that recall rosters were being updated at overseas U.S. installations as troops stationed in the Middle East rotated out of theater. The report said the moves were part of an effort to reduce the American military footprint in the region amid concern about possible Iranian retaliation. That detail matters because it ties the canceled leave and schedule changes to a broader readiness posture, not just to Washington staffing. The report did not specify which bases or countries were involved. ### What was Iran saying as the planning continued? Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Wednesday that any further strikes by the United States or Israel could widen the conflict beyond the Middle East, CBS reported. The report said the group promised “crushing blows … in places you cannot even imagine.” CBS also said Tehran was reviewing the latest U.S. proposal for a possible agreement to end the nearly three-month war. That means the military preparations and the diplomatic track were moving at the same time. ### What happens next over the Memorial Day weekend? Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25, 2026. CBS reported that Trump was expected to return to the White House rather than spend the weekend in New Jersey, and the outlet said no final decision on strikes had been reached as of Friday afternoon. Any next formal step is likely to come through a White House statement, Pentagon announcement, or further reporting from named U.S. officials over the holiday weekend.