UK business morale slumps as Iran war pushes up costs, survey shows

Published July 2, 2026 Updated July 2, 2026 12:17pm

British business confidence fell to its lowest since 2022 as the Iran war, which pushed up costs, saps expectations for future sales, a survey of accountants showed, Reuters reports.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales said that its quarterly Business Confidence Monitor fell to its lowest since the fourth quarter of 2022 in the three months to June.

“Even if the peace deal holds, the weakening in forward-looking sales indicators points to a difficult second half of the year for the UK economy, as the aftereffects of the Iran conflict continue to weigh on activity,” Suren Thiru, chief economist at the ICAEW, said.

Opinion

Editorial

‘Talks over hostility’
Updated 02 Jul, 2026

‘Talks over hostility’

THE recent appeal endorsed by civil society members from Pakistan and India, urging the prime ministers of both...
Lahore tragedy
02 Jul, 2026

Lahore tragedy

THE death of 14 children in the roof collapse of a private tuition centre in Lahore has plunged the entire country...
Data policy
02 Jul, 2026

Data policy

THE draft ‘Data Governance Policy’, released by the IT ministry recently, is a welcome step towards modernising...
PIA’s privatisation
Updated 01 Jul, 2026

PIA’s privatisation

THE management control of PIA has finally been transferred to a consortium comprising private investors and the ...
Rights beyond rulings
01 Jul, 2026

Rights beyond rulings

THE Supreme Court’s recent ruling that jewellery, bridal gifts and dowry articles given to a bride remain her...
Asia left behind
01 Jul, 2026

Asia left behind

ALARMING regression has been witnessed in the Asian teams at the FIFA World Cup. A record nine representatives from...