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The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre has documented 29 attacks on commercial vessels across the Persian Gulf region since the conflict began in February, with incident frequency declining in recent weeks.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has exposed global water security risks, prompting Central Asian nations to seek Chinese expertise in managing their increasingly strained water resources and modernising irrigation infrastructure.
China's crude oil imports are forecast to slide to pandemic-era levels this year, with the Iran conflict exposing weak underlying demand that analysts say may not recover as electric vehicles and renewable energy reshape the economy.
China's Xi Jinping met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday as Pakistan continues efforts to broker peace between the United States and Iran following stalled negotiations.
Asia's top defence forum convenes this week amid escalating Middle East tensions, Taiwan concerns, and questions about US commitment to the region. Analysts warn of economic fallout from the Iran conflict affecting Asian economies.
President Trump has indicated that a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran will conclude in the near term, as Pakistan steps up diplomatic mediation efforts to end the conflict.