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.