🔄 Release Tracking: v1.7.18

## 🚀 Release Cycle: v1.7.18

**Branch:** `release/v1.7`
**Run:** https://github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/actions/runs/31187363172

### Tags to be created:
• `v1.7.18` (CNI/CNS/NPM)
• `dropgz/v0.2.1`
• `azure-ipam/v0.4.2`
• `azure-iptables-monitor/v0.0.4`
• `azure-ip-masq-merger/v0.0.2`
• `cilium-log-collector/v0.0.2`
### ⏳ Pending PRs — Dependabot (3) + Go Upgrade (4):

- [ ] #4382 — deps: bump the all-go-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory with 2 updates
- [ ] #4547 — [backport release/v1.7] chore: upgrade Go 1.24 → 1.26.4
- [ ] #4618 — deps: bump the kubernetes-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory with 7 updates
- [ ] #4621 — deps: bump the all-go-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory with 21 updates

---
### Skip Instructions

To skip a specific PR, comment on this issue:
```
skip #
```

To skip ALL remaining dependency PRs (dependabot + Go upgrade):
```
skip all
```

### Pause for a non-dependabot PR

To hold the release until a specific PR merges (any PR, not just dependabot):
```
pause #
```

To remove the hold:
```
unpause #
```

### Pause the release entirely

To freeze the release (e.g. waiting for an unrelated fix, discussion, etc.):
```
pause
```

To unfreeze and let it continue:
```
resume
```

---
_This issue is managed by the Scheduled Release workflow. It will close automatically when the release completes._

Start with the Scheduled Release workflow run for release/v1.7 and review the four pending dependency and Go-upgrade PRs listed here. The release is done when the requested tags are created and the workflow completes; use the documented skip, pause, or resume commands only as needed.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.