Ports Blocked, Biryani Threatened: Trump Turns Up Iran Heat, War Fear Hits The Plate | world news

New Delhi: Political unrest in Iran has disrupted India’s agricultural trade. Street protests against the ruling establishment continue across several cities. American involvement has added pressure to an already fragile situation. Indian basmati rice exporters now face severe losses.

Trump-imposed tariffs have slowed trade flows. Shipments face obstacles at multiple ports. Consignments worth more than Rs 1,500 crore are stranded. Payments from Iranian buyers are pending. Anxiety runs deep among exporters. An advisory has gone out to all rice exporters with a focus on payment safety.

Iran once stood as the biggest buyer of Indian basmati rice. That position has weakened over the years. The country now stands third among importers. Export volumes face the risk of further decline. Market confidence shows signs of erosion. Several exporters report blocked payments. Anxiety has become a constant for many traders.

Iran has long served as an important destination for Indian farm produce. Political turmoil has unsettled this relationship. Protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have intensified uncertainty. Agricultural traders feel growing pressure. Basmati exporters sense the biggest impact. Fear of heavy losses hangs over the sector. A stable market now shows signs of disintegration.

Iran is a major outlet for Indian exports. Prolonged instability threatens farm trade from India. Export payments may not come through for a long time. Official trade data shows India exported farm goods worth Rs 8,897 crore to Iran during 2024-25. Basmati rice accounted for Rs 6,374 crore. Tehran currently holds a 12.67 percent share in total basmati exports. A decline appears likely over the next four months. Rising inflation has weakened consumer demand. The Iranian real has lost its value in global markets.

The fall of real against the US dollar has hurt Iranian importers. Payments to Indian exporters face delays. Cargo waits at ports. Several deals face the risk of cancellation. A proposed 25 percent tariff on countries trading with Iran has added more strain.

Any prolonged halt in basmati supplies will hit rice millers in Haryana and Punjab hard. Farmers will feel the pressure. Falling prices is a real concern.

Export data for the ongoing year shows mixed signals. Between April and November 2025-26, India exported 5.99 lakh metric tonnes of basmati rice to Iran. The same period last year recorded 4.95 lakh metric tonnes. Present unrest threatens shipments from December 2025 to March 2026. Import decisions grow uncertain in unstable times. Payment security is unclear. Many dues are unpaid. Exporters have been asked to be cautious with payments.

Premium rice finds buyers only where purchasing power exists. Iran’s changing conditions reflect clearly in export numbers. The country led basmati imports during 2018-19 with a 33.03 percent share. It stood at 28.45 percent in 2019-20. Iran later slipped to third place. Import volumes reached 14.83 lakh metric tonnes in 2018-19 but fell to 13.19 lakh tonnes in 2019-20. Imports dropped to 9.98 lakh tonnes in 2022-23. It further declined to 8.55 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.

Saudi Arabia now leads basmati imports with a 20.25 percent share. Iran is also a major buyer of Indian tea, with imports from India touching nearly 11,000 tonnes during 2024-25. Instability has unsettled tea exporters too.

India also ships coffee, fresh fruits, spices, dairy products, pulses and sugar to Iran. Concern spreads across these sectors. Many now look towards political calm as the only relief.