Lebanon Energy & Logistics: Lebanese officials met an Iraqi delegation in Beirut to revive the historic Kirkuk–Tripoli oil pipeline, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chairing talks on rehabilitation and short-term preparations to turn Lebanon into an initial storage and re-export hub for Iraqi crude and refined products, including border upgrades, road works for tanker traffic, and safety standards. Strait of Hormuz Shipping Shock: Iran’s newly appointed Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei says Hormuz will stay closed until the US ends the war and blockade, releases frozen assets, and accepts a region-wide ceasefire including Lebanon and Gaza—while shipping traffic has already plunged to about six vessels. Red Sea Disruption: Houthis attacked shipping near Bab el-Mandeb, with reports of four crew killed on an Egyptian-owned vessel, adding pressure to Saudi Red Sea operations and global freight risk. Regional Security Deal: Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the “Mecca” mutual defense pact, framed as NATO-like collective deterrence. Local Fraud Watch (US, not Lebanon): BBB Scam Tracker updates show scattered single-city scam reports across several US states, underscoring ongoing consumer fraud risk.