JERUSALEM, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict has significantly affected funding for Israel's hi-tech sector, a survey issued on Monday by the Israel Innovation Authority showed.
The survey, covering 637 hi-tech companies, found that 71 percent were affected in capital raising or investment processes: 37 percent experienced delays, 23 percent saw investors postpone decisions, and 11 percent faced cancellations.
Besides funding strains, nearly half of the companies reported that more than a quarter of their workforce was absent due to reserve duty, school closures, or security restrictions, while only about 11 percent reported no absenteeism.
About 75 percent of the companies said international flight restrictions affected their performance, and 35 percent reported serious impacts on meetings, conferences, sales, and partnerships.
Among manufacturing firms, 76 percent reported disruption to production, and 20 percent faced delays in importing materials.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East. ■
