Strait of Hormuz Talks & Oil Markets: Iran and Oman are negotiating a plan that could give Tehran oversight of Gulf-bound shipping, but the deal remains conditional as Trump says the U.S. may pursue “massive escalation” and demands Iran pay compensation—pushing crude up ~5% and weighing on stocks ahead of inflation data. Iran Security Shake-up: Iran’s supreme leader appointed senior IRGC and Basij commanders after earlier strikes killed top figures, signaling tighter hard-line control while Pezeshkian met Khamenei for 7 hours and stressed unity, jobs and housing. Yemen–Saudi Escalation: A Houthi drone strike hit Saudi Aramco’s Jizan refinery, underscoring how the new Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense alignment hasn’t deterred attacks on energy infrastructure. Jobs & Housing Spillover: Analysts warn the Iran war and Hormuz uncertainty could cool housing demand via higher mortgage rates and inflation expectations. Workforce & HR Signals in the Region: Saudi Arabia is moving toward mandatory hotel staffing rules, while a Riyadh construction-tech startup Fitting closed a $1.1M seed to digitize contractor procurement—both pointing to hiring and compliance pressures in services and construction. Turkey–PKK Peace Framework: Turkey’s parliament passed a PKK peace framework bill aimed at reintegration and ending decades of conflict, a potential stability boost for regional labor and investment planning.