IAEA Director General Grossi told a Tokyo press conference on the 26th that the agency has held preliminary technical consultations with Iran on inspections of its nuclear facilities. Kyodo reported the talks took place last weekend in Switzerland. Grossi said he expects formal consultations to begin soon and that, under a US‑Iran memorandum of understanding, IAEA inspectors have the right to access relevant Iranian sites, which he hopes to enter in the near term.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said on Friday it will rapidly expand drone and counter-drone capabilities, training 500,000 "drone warriors", procuring more than 20,000 low-cost expendable drones, and producing 110,000 drones by 2029 to deploy across units. The measures are part of a comprehensive upgrade of unmanned combat capability.

Gold slipped below $4,000 as higher US Treasury yields, a firmer USD and weaker safe‑haven flows reduced demand. Rising nominal and real US yields — driven higher by stronger-than-expected US data — raised the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold; historically rising real yields are a primary negative for gold. A stronger USD increased the local cost of dollar-priced bullion for international buyers, damping global demand and limiting near-term upside unless the dollar weakens. Markets have pushed back Fed rate-cut expectations (earlier bets on sizeable easing from H2 2026), as persistent inflation and a resilient labor market and Fed comments suggest rates may stay higher for longer. Profit-taking after a >70% rally from 2025 to early 2026 (driven by geopolitics, central-bank purchases and safe-haven flows) saw institutions and hedge funds lock gains, amplifying selling pressure; 15–30% corrections are common within long commodity bull runs. ETF outflows and a cooling of safe-haven demand have reduced investment inflows even as central banks continue long-term accumulation. Finally, volatility and losses in global tech stocks have prompted some investors to sell gold to raise cash or rebalance portfolios.