Putin warns Iran war could trigger pandemic-scale shock

Vladimir Putin warned that the global consequences of the conflict involving Iran could be comparable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the potential scale of disruption to the world economy.

Speaking at a plenary session of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs congress, Putin said the full effects of the conflict in the Middle East remain difficult to predict, but stressed the need to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

“Indeed, there are already assessments suggesting they can be compared to the coronavirus epidemic. And, I remind you, it sharply slowed the development of all regions and continents without exception,” he said, according to TASS.

Putin added that the comparison with the pandemic reflects a broader pattern of increasing global instability. “The events the global community has faced in recent years show that shocks in trade, investment, and international relations in general are occurring more and more frequently. They are becoming a new reality, accompanying the transition of the entire global economy to a new state,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova