People stand outside a hotel in Najaf on April 22, 2026. The International Monetary Fund sharply reduced its 2026 growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa to 1.1 percent on April 14, as war chokes Gulf oil and gas exports. Iran, Iraq and Qatar will be particularly hard-hit, the IMF's World Economic Outlook warned, with Iraq's economy projected to contract by 6.8 percent. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP via Getty Images)