MANILA, April 11 -- The Middle East war is expected to drag on Asia's economies over this year and next, the Asian Development Bank warned yesterday, as it predicted growth to slow to 5.1 per cent across the world's most populous region.

That prediction could prove optimistic, however, if new evidence suggesting a "more prolonged conflict and more persistent disruptions" bore out, it said.

Growth predictions could fall to as low as 4.7 per cent for 2026 and 4.8 per cent in 2027 should the US-Israeli war with Iran drag into the third quarter.

"Most economies in developing Asia and the Pacific will see their growth outlook worsen this year and in 2027," was the bank's stark assessment.

The region's status as a net energy importer left i...