Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity: CISA urged U.S. water utilities to take exposed industrial-control gear offline after Minnesota’s coordinated attacks on 30+ community water systems, with U.S. investigators saying Iranian-linked hackers are likely behind the intrusions. Maritime Tech & Energy Security: With Strait of Hormuz traffic nearly stalled and Bab Al Mandeb still seeing limited movement, oil markets swung as shipping chokepoints face renewed Iran conflict risk. AI Governance & Misinformation: A researcher showed Google Earth’s Nano Banana AI can generate photorealistic fake “geopolitical” scenes on real satellite imagery, raising fresh concerns about safeguards. Iran in Global AI Diplomacy: Iran signed on as a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in Shanghai, signaling a push for international AI collaboration. Defense Tech & Regional Posture: Azerbaijan accelerated air-defense upgrades, including bringing JF-17C Block III jets into service, while Bulgaria approved U.S. KC-135 refueling deployments despite Tehran’s objections. Travel Tech Impact: Amadeus reported bookings still hit by Middle East turmoil, though its CEO said the worst may be over as cancellations ease. Market Pulse: Big Tech earnings (notably Microsoft and Amazon) helped spark a tech-led rebound in global stocks even as Iran-war uncertainty continues to rattle energy and risk sentiment.