RIO DE JANEIRO, June 6 (Reuters) - Deferring jet orders because of uncertainty and higher jet fuel prices due to the Iran war would be unwise for Middle East carriers as the decision could be costly in the long term, a vice president of the airline trade group IATA said on Saturday.

Kamil Al-Awadhi, regional VP for Africa and the Middle East, told reporters that he does not expect the war and higher costs to affect aircraft orders from Middle Eastern carriers.