IMF chief Georgieva warns ‘everyone will feel the impact’ of energy price shock, as US growth beats forecasts – as it happened

There will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEA

• Europe has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel left owing to Iran war, says energy chief

The UK’s growth acceleration in February is likely to be “short-lived”, due to the Iran war, warns Andrew Hunter, associate director and senior economist at Moody’s Analytics:

“The 0.5% month-over-month jump in U.K. GDP in February, and slight upward revision to January’s data, echoes the earlier improvement in the surveys and suggests the economy had more momentum at the start of this year than previously thought.

However, with those surveys weakening quite sharply in March as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices soaring, this upturn is likely to prove short lived.

Why This Matters

The global economy is facing a significant energy price shock, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that 'everyone will feel the impact'. This comes as the US reports stronger-than-expected growth, contrasting with the UK's growth acceleration, which is likely to be short-lived due to the ongoing Iran war.

In Week 16 2026, Breaking News accounted for 18 related article(s), with UK Politics setting the broader headline context. Coverage of Breaking News decreased by 16 article(s) versus the prior week, but remained material in the weekly agenda.

Coverage Snapshot

Key Insights

Tone & Sentiment

Context

The Iran war has sent energy prices soaring, with the UK's economy already showing signs of weakness. The Guardian reports that Europe has only six weeks' supply of jet fuel left, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) warns of potential flight cancellations. Meanwhile, Moody's Analytics associate director Andrew Hunter cautions that the UK's growth acceleration is unlikely to last, citing weakening surveys in March.