Westpac Banking Corp. reports a first-half profit that falls and misses analyst expectations, according to multiple outlets. The bank’s chief executive, Anthony Miller, says the ongoing Middle East crisis and related conflict risks are expected to continue weighing on economic activity and customer conditions through the rest of the year, and into 2026. Bloomberg and The West Australian both describe Miller’s warnings that the war could affect customers, reflecting concerns about wider economic impacts rather than changes confined to Westpac’s internal operations. The West Australian also reports the profit figure in the context of the miss, stating the result was $3.4 billion and that it was below expectations. Across the coverage, the central points are consistent: Westpac’s first-half performance declines versus the prior period, investors and analysts expected higher earnings, and management links part of the forward-looking outlook to potential economic and customer impacts stemming from the Middle East situation. The reports do not indicate a specific change to Westpac’s guidance beyond the CEO’s risk assessment. All accounts present the profit miss and Miller’s risk flagging as the key developments from the half-year results.