• Spanish Town Drowned in Tomatoes as 20,000 People Join Epic Food Fight

  Thousands of people from around the world descended on the Spanish town of Buñol to take part in the famous La Tomatina — the world’s largest annual “food fight.” For several hours, the town’s streets were transformed into a sea of tomatoes...

• Massage, Aromatherapy and “Hoof Care”: America Is Getting Its First Cow Spa for Humans

  Forget mud masks and cucumber slices. The latest wellness trend is inviting people to relax… like cows...

• “A Charming Oasis”: Island With Napoleonic Fortress Goes on Sale in the Venice Lagoon

  A tiny piece of land smaller than a football field has a rich history, but just how wealthy its future owner will need to be is being kept strictly under wraps. An island in the Venetian Lagoon, complete with its own Napoleonic-era fortress and lush gardens, is looking for a new owner....

• The Man Who Cycled 6,000 Miles for Love: The Incredible Story of P.K. and Lotta

  Six years ago in Gothenburg, documentary filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel received an unusual proposition. Two young people, a brother and sister named Karl and Emily von Schedvin, approached him and handed him a book...

• Billionaire at Center of Record $6.2 Billion Divorce Claims He Never Undressed or Had Sex With His Girlfriend

  A New Jersey financial tycoon at the center of what is reportedly the largest and most expensive divorce case in the state’s history is making some unusual claims about his personal life...

• Why Are We So Fascinated by Vampires? From Lestat to the Sexiest Bloodsuckers on TV

  Vampire Lestat has captivated fans around the world with his outrageous antics. But our obsession with sexy vampires goes far beyond forbidden love, bare torsos and a taste for LSD-laced blood, as The Guardian writes...

• Viral Park Kiss Costs Star Lawyer His Career

  A partner at prestigious law firm Wachtell Lipton who was caught passionately embracing a young colleague in Central Park is being forced to leave the firm. The viral video had already cost him a lucrative move to rival firm Gibson Dunn, sources told The Post...

• The end of humanity: What cash-crazed tech billionaires actually believe

  While some tech giants announce the dawn of a new era of superintelligence, others are buying castles in Ireland and building bunkers. What is the modern Silicon Valley elite actually thinking...

Luxury carmakers, long accustomed to high profits from Middle Eastern sales, are now facing uncertainty. The region, while representing less than 10% of total sales for most premium brands, generates disproportionately high revenues thanks to limited editions and bespoke customizations. But following the outbreak of the Iran conflict, many showrooms have temporarily closed and demand has sharply declined, Reuters reports.

The situation is particularly evident in the case of Rolls-Royce: their exclusive Phantom Arabesque — featuring intricate Arabic-inspired engraving and rare wood finishes — was unveiled in Dubai just a week before the military conflict began. Prices for such bespoke models can far exceed the base cost of the car; a standard Phantom starts at $572,000, while fully customized options can double or even triple that price.

Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, and Jaguar Land Rover are closely monitoring the situation, as the Middle East is where the highest-margin models are typically sold. “It’s the best market in the world,” admitted Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser. Yet most showrooms are now closed or operating at limited capacity, with sales reportedly down about a third. Top-tier models priced above $1.4 million are still selling, and some clients are willing to pay extra for shipping exclusive vehicles abroad.

A key draw in the region has been ultra-limited editions featuring gold, mother-of-pearl, or rare wood trims. In 2024, Jaguar Land Rover sold 20 Range Rover Sport SV “Sadaf” models at nearly triple the UK base price. But that segment has almost entirely frozen. “People in the Middle East are thinking about other things right now, not buying a new Bentley,” Walliser noted.

With falling demand in the U.S. due to tariffs, a steep market decline in China and Europe, and halted sales in Russia, luxury automakers now face the threat of production cutbacks. For premium brands, the situation is near-catastrophic. “For makers of premium and luxury cars, this is a complete disaster,” said former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer.

The war in Iran puts one of the most profitable luxury car markets at risk, forcing companies to reassess their strategies and revenue forecasts for the coming months.

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram