{"text":[[{"start":9.35,"text":"It was supposed to be a campaign of shock-and-awe that began when the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28. But Iran, having fired thousands of missiles and drones across the Middle East, fought to a stalemate. "}],[{"start":22.6,"text":"Thousands have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, while the economic shockwaves of the conflict and the disruption to shipping channels through the Strait of Hormuz have spread far beyond the Middle East. On Sunday, the US and Iran agreed terms to extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait."}],[{"start":40.55,"text":"Attacks on Gulf states"}],[{"start":42.9,"text":"Iran, unlike during previous rounds of fighting with Israel, focused its retaliatory strikes on its near neighbours in the Gulf. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":50.55,"text":"The United Arab Emirates, whose leaders are most closely aligned with Israel and the US, has borne the brunt of Iranian attacks. At least 45 per cent of Iran’s strikes on Gulf states hit the UAE, striking both military and civilian targets."}],[{"start":66,"text":"Since the ceasefire in early April, Kuwait and Bahrain have also been caught in the crosshairs during Iranian exchanges of fire with the US. Both host major US military bases and are the smallest of the six Gulf states. "}],[{"start":80.3,"text":"The research group Rystad Energy estimated it would require $58bn to fix Gulf energy infrastructure damaged or destroyed between late February and early April."}],[{"start":91.95,"text":"The damage to Iran"}],[{"start":93.75,"text":"The US and Israel struck thousands of targets across Iran. While it is difficult to verify the precise scale of destruction, the impact will be felt for years to come. "}],[{"start":103.95,"text":"Alongside military targets, which were the focus of the American and Israeli attacks, key civilian and economic infrastructure was also damaged and destroyed. This includes bridges, steel plants, and most recently two water storage facilities. The rebuild is expected to cost billions. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":121.25,"text":"The cost of the war to the US"}],[{"start":124.05,"text":"Washington will need to foot the bill for replenishing missile stockpiles and redeploying equipment to and from the Middle East, as well as repairing bases and equipment struck by Iran. "}],[{"start":134.55,"text":"Pentagon officials testified in mid-May that the conflict had so far cost $29bn. It was unclear how the Pentagon came to that figure. "}],[{"start":143.75,"text":"The American Enterprise Institute think-tank suggested $25bn as a low estimate up to the April ceasefire. It pointed to a plausible higher estimate as being as much as $34bn. "}],[{"start":156.35,"text":"Americans have also felt the cost of the war at the pump. The average petrol price paid per gallon has surged to $4, up from around $2.90 paid before the war. In some states, such as California, it reached almost $6 per gallon. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":173.5,"text":"The blocked Strait of Hormuz"}],[{"start":176.55,"text":"The war effectively closed the world’s most important energy waterway as Iran wrested control over crucial shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, locking commercial shipping in the Gulf. "}],[{"start":188.10000000000002,"text":"Before the fighting, about 100 ships would transit the Strait every day. According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, only 127 ships moved through the Strait between May 18 and June 7. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":201.50000000000003,"text":"The hit to Asia"}],[{"start":203.20000000000002,"text":"It is in Asia, which sources almost 60 per cent of its crude oil from the Middle East, where the effects of the closure have been felt most keenly. "}],[{"start":211.35000000000002,"text":"Many countries have been forced to turn to alternative supplies to make up the shortfall. Vietnam, which received much of its oil from Kuwait, has turned to the US and Nigeria. The Philippines, which declared a national energy emergency, purchased oil from Russia for the first time in five years. Both the Philippines and Sri Lanka declared four-day workweeks for government officials. "}],[{"start":233.65000000000003,"text":"This has created a deepening economic crisis across Asia. The Asian Development Bank told the FT last week that 15 countries were now seeking emergency loans to deal with the energy shock. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":246.55000000000004,"text":"Economic damage"}],[{"start":248.25000000000003,"text":"While economies in Asia may have felt the consequences first, the global knock-on is likely to be deep and long-lasting. "}],[{"start":256.45000000000005,"text":"The World Bank on Thursday lowered its growth forecasts for two-thirds of countries as a result of the war. It estimated that global growth would slow from about 2.9 per cent in 2025 to 2.5 per cent in 2026. "}],[{"start":271.70000000000005,"text":"Numbers from the OECD, which has also revised its 2026 forecasts downwards from those made in December 2025, suggested that major economies in Europe were facing a significant growth slowdown. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":285.6,"text":"Many governments, seeking to shield consumers from the impact of rising oil and gas prices, have cut energy taxes. Germany, among them, has earmarked €1.6bn in fuel relief for consumers and businesses by cutting energy taxes on diesel and petrol by 17 cents per litre. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":304,"text":"Additional reporting by Nolan Shaffer and Ray Douglas"}],[{"start":312.59999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781516431_3031.mp3"}