Washington and Tehran on the cusp of an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — if Iran agrees to sign

Good afternoon, friends, and welcome to a new (shorter-than-usual) working week. We’re easing in gently today — fittingly, with a story about the people who never really get to ease in at all. In today’s issue, we take a hard look at what working motherhood actually demands — beyond maternity leave and into the daily grind of caregiving, scheduling, and showing up fully in two places at once. We also have a podcast recommendation that’ll make your commute feel like a masterclass, and the World Cup round-up you need before tonight’s matches.

But first, the news…

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 More of the same stories are getting ink on this afternoon’s digital newsfronts, with mediators aiming to sway Iran to sign the proposed memorandum of understanding with the US. Last night, US President Donald Trump stated that the agreement between Washington and Tehran could be signed as early as today, despite Iran casting doubt over the timeline. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the agreement would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, declaring it would be “open to all” once an agreement is reached.

^^Read more on: CNN, BBC, The Guardian, and Associated Press

MEANWHILE- The UK has carried out the first-ever operation of its kind against Russia’s “shadow fleet,” with British forces intercepting and boarding an oil tanker in the English Channel early Sunday. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that Royal Marines and officers from the National Crime Agency took control of the vessel Smyrtos, which was sailing under the Cameroonian flag, during a six-hour operation. Starmer described the mission as “another blow” to Moscow, saying the operation targeted one of hundreds of vessels accused of helping Russia continue exporting oil despite international sanctions.

^^Read more on: CNN, BBC, Reuters, and Associated Press

You can survive a bad investment, but you cannot undo a severance package you never negotiated.

You're at the stage where the questions have shifted: who gets what, whether your estate survives you intact or gets tied up in courts, whether you exit on your terms or let timing decide for you.

Retirement isn't a finish line but a structure problem, and most people get it wrong. It's not because they ran out of money but because they never asked the right questions at the right time.

In the final issue of EnterpriseAM Money Matters, we cover the decisions that define how you exit: estate planning under Egyptian law, what to actually ask your lawyer before you step back, how to read a severance package, when phased retirement makes financial sense — and when cashing out your options is the smartest move you'll make this decade.

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** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

• The military’s National Service Projects Organization is handing Taqa Arabia a 10% stake in 172 stations from Wataneya’s fuel network. The transaction parks the assets inside a new IPO-bound vehicle called Quick Fuel for Petroleum Products Trading and Distribution, which Taqa will now manage and operate;
• ADQ-owned AD Ports Group is finalizing its consolidation of Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company. Black Caspian Logistics submitted a draft mandatory tender offer to the FRA to acquire up to 90% of the EGX-listed company;
• The National Bank of Egypt acquired a 20% stake in the Egyptian Alliance for Education, injecting EGP 250 mn that has raised the platform’s issued capital to EGP 1.25 bn;
• The government is fast-tracking corporate formation by introducing a temporary eight-month tax card. The draft legislation allows new companies to speed up their establishment and licensing procedures.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We should be in for some moderately warm weather in Cairo tomorrow, with a high of 34°C and a low of 23°C. Expect cooler conditions up north, with the mercury set to peak at just 28°C, accompanied by a low of 23°C, according to our favorite weather app.