War clouds over West Asia: The risks of economic fallout are high

Since India has relations with both combatants and its economy stands to lose more than any other SCO member from this conflict, it has chosen to carve out an independent position

Israel’s attack on Iran signals an ominous widening of the war in West Asia, threatening a global economy that is struggling to come to terms with the havoc of American President Donald Trump’s tariff wars. The barrage of air strikes that the two nations have exchanged so far has heightened the chances of an escalation into a proxy war between Israel, supported by the United States (US), and Iran-sponsored groupings in the region, the Houthi and the Hamas, with the potential of disrupting critical trade routes and air space on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. East of Saudi Arabia,