On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its latest World Economic Outlook update, warning that the conflict in Iran had "halted" the global economic momentum enjoyed early in the year. The organization had previously expected the global economy to grow by 3.4 percent in 2026, but has now lowered this to a baseline forecast of 3.1 percent. In a "severe scenario," it said, energy supply disruptions extending into next year would slash global growth to only 2 percent, with