The expanding war involving Iran is worsening food insecurity across Lebanon, Gaza and Iran, with residents reporting empty shelves, soaring prices and disrupted aid deliveries. In Beirut, families displaced by Israeli strikes say shelters lack basic supplies and sufficient meals during Ramadan, relying on overstretched charities that are already facing shortages.

The United Nations World Food Program warned that the conflict is hitting the most vulnerable first, particularly the hundreds of thousands displaced in Lebanon. In Iran, the fighting has compounded an existing economic crisis marked by high food inflation and limited access to foreign currency, raising concerns that the country may struggle to import essential staples. Residents in Tehran report sharply rising prices and scarcity in basic goods such as bread and eggs.

In Gaza, border closures at the start of the war with Iran disrupted aid shipments and triggered immediate price spikes, deepening an already fragile humanitarian situation. Experts also caution that reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could drive up global fuel and fertilizer costs, with broader effects on food production and prices that may take months to fully emerge.