War's impact on Iran starts to show in the Canary Islands

The impact on tourism and the possible rise in fuel prices worry residents

The bombing carried out on Saturday, February 28, by the United States and Iraq against Iran marks a new war scenario with human and material consequences in the region. Yet the impact is not confined to the battlefield. Geopolitical instability is already producing international repercussions in areas such as transport and fuel supplies. In Fuerteventura, the rising cost of fuel is one of the first visible signs.

Gas stations are warning that a price increase is imminent.

“We are expecting a rise throughout tomorrow, Wednesday, surely. Seeing how the situation is unfolding and based on experience from similar crises, there will be an increase. How much? I don’t know,” a station manager said.

He added that sales have already risen since Monday as customers fear a price escalation.

On the streets, concern is evident. Some drivers believe that if the conflict continues, “everything will surely go up, and a lot.” Others describe current prices as “abusive” and question how directly a war abroad should affect the fuel consumed in the Canary Islands.

The worry is shared by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who admitted being “concerned” because the rise in the price of a barrel of oil “will make energy more expensive and, in a land like ours, where we depend so much on transport, that will be passed on to costs.” He warned that the increase will affect everything from the primary sector to air and freight transport, with a consequent impact on inflation and the purchasing power of Canary families.

This view is echoed by Dr. Rosa Rodríguez, professor of Economic and Business Sciences and member of the College of Economists of Las Palmas, who reminded that “our dependence on the outside world and tourism means any circumstance that occurs abroad directly impacts our economy.”

Similarly, María de la Salud Gil, president of the Labor Foundation of Construction of Las Palmas, highlighted that the global geopolitical context is behind the inflationary surge.

“Inflation is growing for artificial reasons linked to conflicts and international tensions. Oil, the scarcity of raw materials, and transport problems influence directly,” she explained.

As the conflict evolves, Fuerteventura is already feeling the first economic consequences of a crisis that, although distant on the map, has direct effects on the island’s daily life.