Britain's government and the Bank of England say it is too soon to judge the economic hit from the Iran war, but the first strains are appearing and are likely to ring alarm bells for policymakers whose response options are more limited than in past crises. On Thursday, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cut Britain's growth forecast for 2026 by more than any other major economy and raised the country's inflation forecast by the most too. The bleak outlook jeopardises the Labour government's central pledge to voters that it could fix the public finances and pay for better public services with faster economic growth. It also threatens the Bank of England's hopes of bringing high inflation under control for the first time in years. GAS DEPENDENCE MAKES UK MORE VULNERABLE While much of the global economy will feel the effects of the conflict, Britain is particularly vulnerable among big Western economies. Gas - which has almost doubled in price this month - typically sets the price for British electricity, unlike in France, where it is mostly generated by nuclear plants.