Pentagon Contract & Ethics: The U.S. awarded Dell a $9.7B deal to consolidate Microsoft software licensing across the military and intelligence community, reigniting conflict-of-interest scrutiny after reports tied Trump’s Dell stock purchases and public praise to the timing of the award. Iran Sanctions: Washington imposed fresh sanctions on firms, vessels, and individuals tied to Iran’s oil and petrochemical exports, aiming to choke revenue streams linked to Tehran’s military and IRGC networks. Asia Security: The Shangri-La Dialogue opened with China absent and Indo-Pacific priorities, Taiwan, and Iran tensions dominating talks as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes deterrence and regional cooperation. Space & Networks: Space Force selected SpaceX for a $2.29B contract to build a secure Space Data Network backbone for fast, resilient military communications. Force Protection: Reuters reports U.S. forces in war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, prompting lawmakers to call the ad-tech ecosystem a national security risk. Ukraine Air Power: Ukraine and Sweden moved ahead on a Gripen procurement deal, with additional fighter support for Kyiv. Defense Industry Procurement: Romania said a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block near the Ukraine border, while IDF officials investigated an unauthorized VIP tour at an operational base.