The Mobile World Congress (MWC), which opened Monday in Barcelona, was marked by the repercussions of the recent Israeli-American strikes against Iran. Several expected Israeli companies were unable to attend due to the closure of airspace in the region. At the Israeli pavilion, nine of the 25 announced exhibitors were absent, with some booths mentioning flight cancellations from Israel.
The trade fair organizer, the GSMA, reported a limited number of participants affected by travel disruptions, while Catalan authorities also indicated a limited impact. No Iranian companies were scheduled to participate in the event. Outside the convention center, about thirty protesters called for a boycott of Israel and the United States.
Demonstrations and public statements
At an inaugural roundtable discussion, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath offered his "thoughts" to those affected by the conflict. On Sunday evening, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the strikes, calling for dialogue and warning against further destabilization of the region.
International news didn't overshadow the technological announcements presented at the trade show, which were dominated by the rise of artificial intelligence. According to IDC, 1,26 billion smartphones were sold worldwide in 2025, but a market contraction is feared in 2026 due to rising component prices. Among the new products, the Chinese company Honor unveiled a robot phone integrating AI, while Xiaomi and Huawei presented new connected devices.
