How the Iran War Has Rippled Across the World
By Pablo Robles and Agnes Chang
Butter chicken has disappeared from some Indian menus. So has dosa.
These culinary staples consume cooking gas, which has become harder to get from India’s suppliers in the Gulf.
Australian farmers are planting less wheat.
Farmers around the world are worried about their harvests as fertilizer prices rise. A third of the world’s fertilizer is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
South Koreans were urged to take shorter showers.
Much of the energy they use to heat water comes from the Middle East.
A shorter workweek in Sri Lanka. A shorter school week in Laos.
To curb commutes and conserve fuel, Sri Lanka declared Wednesdays a public holiday, and Laos adopted a three-day class schedule.
Track suits could get more expensive.
The polyester in them is made from petrochemicals. Oil and gas prices are rising.
Party balloons may be harder to find.
Qatar produces a third of the world’s helium, a byproduct of natural gas. As production and exports halt, balloon suppliers may run short.
Formula 1 canceled some races.
With missiles targeting Gulf nations, competitions in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were scratched.
Concerts were postponed.
Shakira, Christina Aguilera and others postponed shows in the region over security concerns.
Cancer drugs might not reach some patients on time.
Shutdowns in cargo hubs like Dubai and Doha threaten medicines that must be kept refrigerated.
Buying a house in the United States is more expensive.
Oil prices are driving fears of higher inflation, pushing up mortgage rates.
Costlier sugar.
Sugar mills in Brazil, the world’s biggest producer, may switch to making more biofuel to cash in on high energy prices.
Rising airfares.
Airlines are paying more for jet fuel, and passing along the costs.
Falling gold.
Usually a safe investment in turmoil, gold has fallen for myriad reasons including speculative investors cashing out gold investments.
Tens of thousands of flights canceled.
With some airspace closed in the Middle East, carriers have had to suspend routes. At the same time, jet fuel costs are soaring.
Venezuela gets to export fertilizer again.
The Trump administration loosened sanctions to help U.S. farmers.
Even the chess world has been shaken up.
A grandmaster withdrew from a major competition in Cyprus over safety concerns. A drone hit a British base there early in the war.
Russia is getting a little richer.
Surging energy prices are shoring up Russia’s oil-heavy economy.
Ukraine may run short on Patriot missiles.
The war has depleted stocks of the U.S. interceptors used by Kyiv to fend off Russian attacks.
Thailand’s premier wore short-sleeved shirts to work and urged others to do the same.
Government offices are required to cap air conditioner use to conserve energy.
Take the stairs. Leave the mall.
To conserve energy, the Philippines asked civil servants to skip the elevator, and Egypt curtailed shopping hours five days a week.
Zara clothes piled up at airports in Bangladesh.
Textile exports have also been disrupted by the canceled flights.
Ceramics factories in India stopped firing their kilns.
The kilns need natural gas or propane.
Gas lines are back. Even in Texas.
Worried about a price spike, drivers in San Antonio lined up for 30 minutes at a Costco.
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