Strait of Hormuz Disruption: The UN’s IMO paused its escort and evacuation plan after an Evergreen vessel was hit near Oman, reviving fears that any US-Iran détente won’t fully stabilize shipping; Iran’s new “approved routes” stance also raised the risk of uninsured or non-guaranteed passages. Geopolitics & Costs: Analysts warned that any Iran-linked tolls could push up freight, insurance, and compliance costs, feeding into global inflation. Ports & Trade Corridors: Greece’s Port of Piraeus is highlighted as a China-Europe rail-sea gateway after COSCO revitalized operations a decade ago, while Kazakhstan moves to rebuild 37 border crossings to cut freight bottlenecks. Energy Storage Boom: India and China kept storage in focus, with Mercom’s July summit set to tackle a “bankable” storage ecosystem and Deye investing $181m for more C&I battery output. Freight Tech & Fleet Readiness: Mercedes says real-world data shows electric long-haul trucks are already working in daily logistics, supporting the case for wider EV adoption. Supply Chain Finance: APSEZ won an S&P “BBB” upgrade to match India’s sovereign rating, signaling stronger port-and-logistics cash flow resilience. Retail & Consumer Pressure: Apple and Microsoft price hikes tied to AI-driven memory and storage costs underline how component surges ripple into logistics demand and planning.