Nine out of ten industrial companies in Germany see their business as being affected by the Iran war. Only nine percent of companies do not feel affected by the crisis, according to a survey by the Munich ifo Institute. “The conflict affects the industry directly, but above all it causes great uncertainty,” said the head of the ifo surveys, Klaus Wohlrabe. “Many companies are preparing for additional burdens in the coming months,” he added.
According to the institute, 78 percent of the companies surveyed cited this as a reason for the uncertainty the increased energy prices. 36 percent name restrictions on shipping routes and delivery difficulties for intermediate products and raw materials. Around a quarter of the companies therefore assume that demand in important export markets will decrease.
Companies fear delivery bottlenecks and inflation
Many companies are also noticing financial risks, such as uncertain freight and logistics costs or rising insurance premiums. “The results make it clear that the economic consequences of the Iran War are already becoming apparent and could intensify through various channels,” said Wohlrabe. The longer the uncertainty lasts, “the greater the economic problems for companies will be.”
The attacks by Israel and the USA on the Iran
and the subsequent Iranian attacks on the oil industry in several Gulf states as well as the blockade of the important waterway of Hormuz by the Iran have driven up energy prices worldwide significantly. This is fueling concerns about delivery bottlenecks and rising inflation and is slowing the economy in Germany and the euro zone. Economists have already lowered their forecasts for the 2026 economy in Germany. The ifo business climate index fell by 2.0 points to 86.4 points in March compared to the previous month. This is the lowest level since February 2025.