European stock markets are expected to slump at the open as the Iran war escalates, following attacks on Iranian and Qatari energy infrastructure. The U.K.FTSE index is expected to open with a fall of 09%, Germany's DAX down 1.6%, France's CAC 40 down 1%, and Italy's FTSE MIB 1.2%. The conflict escalated when Israel launched strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field, leading to Tehran launching retaliatory missile attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas terminal. Concerns over the potential impact of the war on the U.S. economy on growth and inflation, particularly in the future, have been raised.