Strait of Hormuz & FX hedging: Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi urged “free and safe passage” for ships in talks with Iran, while markets stayed jumpy as US-Iran talks showed fresh friction. Central banking & reserves: A report says India’s RBI may have sold about $12bn of gold in two weeks to protect foreign-currency buffers amid Middle East stress. Commodities & inflation watch: Gold edged higher on mixed US-Iran signals, while euro-zone pricing power looked weaker than after the Ukraine shock, with only a third of big firms planning price hikes. FX intervention mechanics: Traders say India’s central bank likely sold dollars via state banks and used buy-sell swaps to support the rupee. Payments & digital money: Macau banks joined Project mBridge for central bank digital currency settlement, adding to the region’s push for faster cross-border rails. Saudi fintech regulation: Saudi Central Bank licensed two new finance companies—one for finance aggregation and one for consumer finance—bringing the total to 75. Iraq cash economy: Iraq’s exchange offices expanded as about 87% of money supply remains outside the banking system, limiting lending and investment. Energy finance: Oman’s O-Green reached financial close for a 93MW solar project, backed by Ahli Islamic Bank. Regional dealmaking: Oman and Libya deepened energy and investment cooperation, including an MoU between OQ Group and Libya’s investment authority. Market risk sentiment: Asian equities swung on Middle East uncertainty, even as AI optimism supported tech shares. Egypt investment push: Egypt’s PM reviewed plans for a global logistics hub in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, aiming to attract FDI and speed agreements.