According to a report from Tasnim News Agency in Iran, the country has placed a ban on all exports of food and agricultural products amid rapidly escalating conflict with Israel and the United States.

The local agency – which is described by media outlets as a ‘semi-official’ agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – said the decision was taken by the government in order to ‘prioritise the provision of basic, sensitive and essential goods needed by the people due to current conditions’.

The report follows intensifying tensions across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February 2026, targeting military facilities and killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran responded with retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region, with drones and missiles reported to have struck facilities in various countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Iraq.

The Tasnim News report said the bans on agri-food exports will be in place ‘until further notice’.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Iran is a leading exporter of agri-food products worldwide and is one of the top exporters of key commodities including figs, pistachios, dates, aubergines and raisins.

The EU received €355 million’s worth of agri-food imports from Iran in 2020, with top products imported including tropical fruit, nuts and spices, and meats.

Oil and gas prices have already surged in the wake of the ongoing conflict, with Brent crude oil spiking above $85 a barrel for the first time since 2024.

Continued price rises are expected across global markets with knock-on effects across the food and beverage industry, including supply chain disruption due to transport and logistics costs, higher export costs and shortages of major agricultural ingredients.