UAE-Iran Financial Freeze: The UAE suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran “until further notice” after detecting two ballistic missiles aimed at maritime traffic; Iran denied the launches and urged “baseless accusations,” escalating a sanctions-and-shipping squeeze that could hit regional payments and liquidity. US Crypto Banking Clash: US regulators gave preliminary approval for World Liberty Trust Co., a Trump-linked crypto venture, to operate a federally chartered trust bank—prompting Senate Democrats to push a bill to block presidents and close family from owning or controlling banks. Markets Under Iran Stress: US and European stocks slid as bond yields jumped to multi-decade highs and oil prices rose on renewed US-Iran uncertainty, lifting borrowing costs and pressuring risk assets. Deconfliction Talks: The US is working on a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Türkiye and Syria after an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border, aiming to prevent accidental escalation. Middle East Credit Risk: Conflict-linked loan stress is rising, with reports pointing to higher loan defaults as regional tensions worsen. Turkey AI Push: Türkiye launched its 2026-2030 AI action plan, targeting major private investment in AI infrastructure and sector pilots.