Strait of Hormuz Pressure on Iraq’s Economy: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say Hormuz will stay closed until the US meets six demands, including lifting sanctions, ending the naval blockade, unfreezing assets, and paying compensation—keeping Iraq’s crude exports under strain as officials report exports down to about 1.5–1.7mn bpd from 3.4mn bpd, pushing Baghdad to diversify routes. Kurdistan Trade Hit: KRG PM Masrour Barzani says trade activity has fallen over 70% since the US-Iran war began, with missile/drone attacks disrupting investment and cross-border commerce. Anti-Corruption Crackdown: Iraq’s “Dawn Crackdown” continues with arrests tied to alleged misuse of public contracts, including detention of Oil Ministry-linked figures and a court summons/wanted listing for former finance minister Taif Sami. Digital Push for Finance & Customs: Iraq is accelerating digitization of banking and customs, aiming for tighter electronic payments and data links to improve transparency and ease business. Telecom Shock: Korek Telecom faces a potential operational shutdown after Iraq’s CMC moves to suspend services, while Korek disputes the regulator’s authority. Water Tech Deal: Iraq’s Water Resources Ministry signed with Turkish firm Kolaysoft to digitize water monitoring, including remote sensing and GIS mapping. Local Business Disruption: Baghdad’s Al-Madina Stadium is declared unfit for matches, disrupting the start of the 2026/27 Iraq Stars League.