Photos from a ceramic tile manufacturing hub in India left cold and dark by the Iran war

MORBI, India (AP) — Morbi, a vibrant industrial hub that produces over 80% of India's ceramic tiles, has been unusually quiet for the past month or so.

Since the war in Iran started there has not been enough fuel for the kilns used to make the tiles, and whatever is available is too expensive for the factories in Morbi to stay competitive. Most of the natural gas used is imported via the Strait of Hormuz.

The city in Gujarat state has thrived as a major export center due to its proximity to ports on the Arabian Sea, and the ready availability of raw materials locally.

Now some of Morbi's workers have been forced to find alternative employment while others have returned to their homes in nearby states. Only a small fraction of the workers have been retained to carry out maintenance work in the factories.

“Out of the odd 650 or 700 manufacturing units, only four to five large ones are operational as they can afford to use the more expensive propane gas,” said Hareshbhai Bhadja, one of the partners in the manufacturing unit GC Granito.

However, the recent ceasefire has brought some hope to the city’s manufacturers.

A few factories are beginning to open after supply assurance from the state government’s Gujarat Gas. Whether prices will drop to pre-war levels remains to be seen.

A family of migrant workers returns to their quarters in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A closed ceramics factory is seen following fuel shortage caused by the ongoing war in Iran, in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A migrant worker family sits in a deserted ceramics housing in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A migrant woman prepares a meal using coal at a deserted ceramic workers' quarters in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A ceramics factory lies deserted upon closure following fuel shortage in Morbi in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A man performs maintenance work on a machine at a shuttered ceramics factory following a fuel shortage, in Morbi in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Workers perform maintenance on a machine at a shuttered ceramic factory in Morbi in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Migrant workers prepare to cook at their deserted quarters at a ceramics factory in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Migrant workers stand outside their deserted quarters at a ceramics factory in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Deserted ceramic workers' quarters are seen following shortage of fuel in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Migrant workers carry ceramic tiles at a factory in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A migrant worker stacks ceramic tiles in a factory in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A migrant woman prepares a meal using firewood at a deserted ceramics workers' quarters in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A worker sweeps the floor of a closed ceramics factory in Morbi,in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A ceramics factory is seen closed following fuel shortage in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Workers arrive for maintenance work at a closed ceramics factory in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A migrant worker sits at a deserted ceramic workers' quarters in Morbi, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who's facing a felony strangulation charge, will start the season on the commissioner's exempt list.

The NFL's decision Sunday means Cooper will continue to get paid for the time being and is allowed at the team's training facilities but cannot practice with the team or play in games.

“It's part of the process,” general manager George Paton said. “We continue to take this very seriously. We're going to continue to monitor all the legal developments and continue to support Jonathon. Jonathon's worked very hard to better himself and it'll be good to have him in the building, be in meetings and just be a part of the team.”

Cooper faces an arraignment Monday on several charges following two domestic-violence arrests in June stemming from altercations with a woman he was dating at the time. He's expected to enter a plea at that hearing unless an agreement is reached beforehand between prosecutors and Cooper's lawyer, Harvey Steinberg.

Cooper was allowed to participate in training camp and on Friday was one of the Broncos' captains in their preseason finale, a 34-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The league is investigating Cooper’s situation and the sixth-year pro could face a lengthy suspension under the NFL’s domestic violence policy. Any games he serves on the exempt list would count toward his suspension, but he would also have to repay the money he earned while on the exempt list.

Cooper, who has started 52 consecutive games for the Broncos, is a key member of a defense that has led the league in sacks each of the past two seasons. He was told to stay away from the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp in June following his second arrest in a week's span.

Cooper, 28, was arrested on June 4 following an argument and physical confrontation with his then-girlfriend that eventually resulted in a felony assault charge of strangulation. He was arrested again a week later after allegedly violating a protection order by trying to contact the woman, according to the arrest affidavit.

The Broncos decided not to release Cooper, who's due $12 million this season. He was allowed to participate in training camp after attending an inpatient clinic near Vail for more than a month.

If he misses any games, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman are set to expand their workload in his place: “We like the depth there,” Paton said.

The Broncos decided to keep all three of their quarterbacks on the 53-man roster: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger.

“We love the room; we're going to keep the room together,” Paton said.

That meant another tough cut and among those who didn't make the roster were draft picks Justin Joly, a tight end from N.C. State who had an 88-yard touchdown catch Friday night, and Red Murdock, aka “Mr. Irrelevant,” a linebacker from Buffalo.

“We always worry about the guys we want to bring back that they could get claimed,” Paton said. “And if they do, like we told them, we're going to give them a hug and wish them the best.”

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper, left, takes part in drill with defensive assistant Michael Wilhoite during practice at the team's NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Centennial, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper walks on the sideline during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)