By Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA, March 9 (Reuters) - Turkey said on Monday that NATO air defences shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that had entered its airspace and warned that it would move against any such threats, which increasingly pose a test for Ankara and the alliance.

The incident in southern Turkey marks the second intercepted missile from Iran in the last week. Turkey, NATO's second-largest armyand Iran's neighbour,had warned Tehran on Saturday against attacking again, but it has not suggested it wants to formally call on bloc members for further protection.

By Forrest Crellin

PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - Almost half of Iran's uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons-grade, was stored in a tunnel complex at Isfahan and is probably still there, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

The tunnel complex is the only target that appears not to have been badly damaged in attacks last June by Israel and the U.S. on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Global shipping giant MSC announced Monday it was formally halting certain export shipments from the Gulf because of the Middle East war and that "all affected cargo will be discharged".

"In light of the ongoing and exceptional security situation in the Middle East... it is necessary to declare an 'End of Voyage' for certain export shipments" from Gulf ports, "whether located ashore or already onboard", MSC said in an advisory notice to customers.

Four years after world sport rushed to ban Russia for invading Ukraine, the leading governing bodies are reacting guardedly to the US-led attack on Iran, raising accusations of double standards.

Both wars broke out immediately after the end of a Winter Olympics -- and before the start of the subsequent Paralympics and ahead of a summer World Cup.

Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine four days after the closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. US and Israeli bombs started falling on Iran six days after the flags came down on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

By Sam Tabahriti and Sarah Young

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Britain wants major economies to agree to release emergency oil reserves as the escalating Iranian crisis sends energy prices soaring and increases the risk of higher inflation, finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Monday.

British borrowing costs have soared since the conflict erupted more than a week ago, and by more than those of other European countries and the U.S., as investors fear that surging oil and gas prices will stoke already stubborn inflation and require the government to borrow more.

Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by AFP.

Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since.

But by claiming to have an "all-Chinese crew" aboard, or changing their destination to "Chinese owner", vessels are linking themselves to Iran's most important economic partner, Beijing.

For Muslims across the world, Ramadan is synonymous with prayer, spirituality and joyful nighttime gatherings, but across much of the Middle East, the Iran war means evenings no longer have anything festive about them.

The celebrations that usually accompany the holy fasting month have been spoiled by bombing, displacement and cash shortages, all soundtracked by the frequent wail of air raid sirens.

Last week, Zainab El Masry, 40, of Lebanon, was preparing lentil soup and fattoush salad for iftar, the fast-breaking meal taken at sunset, with her family.

KYIV, March 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine is ready for new U.S.-backed peace talks "at any moment", but its partners' attention is currently focused on the Iran conflict, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday, adding that the U.S. had asked to postpone an upcoming meeting.

Writing on X, Zelenskiy said Moscow was trying to manipulate the conflict in its favour and aiming to turn Iran's strikes on its neighbours and U.S. bases into "a second front of Russia's war against Ukraine".

(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Tuesday:

- Oil prices fall -

- Comments from President Donald Trump declaring the Middle East war "pretty much" over sent oil prices down, and pushed US stocks skyward.

- Both the US crude oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude fell more than 10 percent, with WTI down to $85.29 per barrel and Brent at $88.95 at around 0230 GMT.

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "nowhere near" deciding whether to send U.S. troops into Iran to secure the stockpile of highly enriched uranium there.

"We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it,” Trump told the New York Post when asked about reported discussions between Israel and the United States on possibly deploying special forces to Iran to seize and secure the material.