Gas prices across the Kurdistan Region have surged to more than four times their pre-war levels, as ongoing threats posed by regional conflict and repeated attacks on energy infrastructure in the Region disrupt supply and affect daily life.

Iraq's foreign ministry on Thursday reaffirmed the country's "firm" stance of neutrality in the escalating regional conflict, responding to a US travel warning by stressing that it “is not a party to this conflict and has no desire to be part of it,” as security concerns intensify in Baghdad.

The Middle East’s largest steel producer in Iran has halted operations after sustaining heavy damage in US-Israeli airstrikes over the past few days, dealing a major blow to the country’s industrial sector.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday held a phone call with Geza Andreas von Geyr, State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office, regarding the recent attacks on Kurdistan, during which the German official reaffirmed his country's support for the Region.

The Iraqi government is studying the possibility of reopening parts of the country’s airspace to resume flights on a limited basis, following more than a month of closure caused by escalating regional tensions.

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