Tea industry on edge as Iran-Israel tensions threaten export revival

The escalating tension between Iran and Israel has put the Indian tea industry on tenterhooks at a time when business in the West Asian market was just starting to improve.

The biggest worry for Indian tea exporters when the Israel-Hamas conflict flared up in October 2023 was that it would spill over to other West Asian countries, particularly Iran. Now, the direct involvement of Iran, one of the top buyers of Indian tea, is causing apprehension in the industry. Iran, an orthodox tea market, has traditionally been one of the top destinations for Indian tea. Compared to