Iran Economy & Daily Life: Iran’s rial hits fresh lows as a US blockade and oil pressure squeeze households, with ordinary people facing rent, medicine and basic-cost shocks. Hormuz & Energy Security: Iran’s parliament speaker warns that if Tehran can’t sell oil safely, “no one will sell oil,” tying infrastructure safety to security guarantees. AI in National Strategy: Qatar is pushing AI and data infrastructure as a “sovereignty” issue, building a National Data Bank to control how AI and economic data are used. AI Safety at Work: Israeli startup Rig Security raises $12M to track AI agents operating under employee accounts, aiming to separate user vs agent activity for enterprise security. Kurdistan Budget Fight: Iraq’s Kurdistan Region says Baghdad has withheld most of its budget share since 2014 and disputes census calculations for 2027 allocations. Turkey Corruption Probe: Turkish prosecutors order arrests of 15 people, including former AKP and MHP mayors, in a municipality corruption investigation. UAE Tax Rules: UAE businesses are finding deal activity can trigger global minimum tax exposure under Pillar Two. Israel Election Law: Israel’s election committee bars Arab parties, sparking debate over security, identity and representation. Saudi Reskilling for AI: Labarna AI publishes a Riyadh developers playbook to reskill teams for agentic systems aligned with SDAIA/ Vision 2030. Business Hiring Signal: Mastercard’s EEMEA SME survey finds firms prioritizing stability, boosting cybersecurity, and leaning into AI for growth.