The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast on Thursday a 1.3% contraction in output for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan in 2026, as a result of the war against Iran's impact on energy production, shipping, tourism, trade and confidence, according to Reuters, in a text republished by Yahoo Finance.

For 2027, the IMF projected 6.6% growth, but output in those economies would generally stay below pre-war projections. The fund said the outlook remains clouded by “exceptionally high uncertainty”.