Prolonged war, renewed disruptions pose biggest risk to Middle East region, IMF says

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The IMF warned that a prolonged Middle East war and further disruption to energy production, shipping routes, or critical infrastructure pose the greatest risks to economies across the Middle East and Central Asia. The conflict is creating uneven economic shocks, with directly affected countries under severe pressure, according to IMF regional director Jihad Azour.

By Andrea Shalal BANGKOK, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Prolonged war in the Middle East and further disruptions to energy production, shipping routes or critical infrastructure pose the biggest risk to economies in the Middle East and Central Asia, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday. Jihad Azour, the IMF's director for the Middle East and Central Asia, told reporters the war was imposing a highly uneven economic shock to the broader region, with directly affected states under severe pressure.