It’s not just oil. Due to the war between the USA and Iran, the export of pistachios from Iranian producers has also collapsed. Between February 20 and March 20, 2026, shipments from the world’s second-largest pistachio producer more than halved, dropping to 9,000 tons, a 55% drop compared to the same period the previous year.
The pistachio crisis
The alarm was raised by the Iran pistachio association which, in its monthly report, links the collapse to the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran on February 28 and to transport restrictions through Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz. Exports since the beginning of the commercial season, between September 2025 and April 2026, ”stood at 109 thousand equivalent tonnes of pistachios in shell, with a decrease of 26% compared to the previous year. The ratio of exports to initial inventories since the beginning of the year stands at 45%, compared to 64% the previous year and 56% of the five-year average (2020-2024)”.
“Given the blockade of shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, CIS countries accounted for the largest share of Iran’s monthly pistachio exports, followed by Turkey and the Indian subcontinent as the main destinations, respectively.” “Exports to Turkey, the CIS and the Indian subcontinent ”remain consistent, with a market share increasing year on year – states the association in the report -. In contrast, the Far East has recorded a significant decline, with its share of Iranian pistachio exports year-to-date falling from 25% last year to 8% this year”.
The main causes
The document explains the main reasons for the collapse: “Due to hostilities and the interruption of shipments to pistachio-consuming destinations such as the United Arab Emirates and other Persian Gulf countries, the share of pistachio exports in total exports decreased after reaching a peak of 57% in the fifth month of marketing, falling to 42% in the sixth month and remaining limited to 43% in the seventh month. Under normal conditions, the average share of pistachio shipments in total exports for the entire business year was expected to exceed the 50% threshold for the first time. However, due to the war, we expect this ratio to remain below 50% for the full year, while remaining above the four-year average of
41%”.
According to the association, the remaining stocks at the end of the seventh trading month are estimated at 114 thousand tonnes of pistachios, which will result in an unprecedented carryover to the end of the trading year: “Continued daily operational difficulties, together with uncertainties arising from the precarious ceasefire, are expected to limit exports in the future.”