Hyderabad, April 22 --  Diet Coke has become an unlikely casualty of the Iran war, with the sugar-free soft drink disappearing from shelves in several major Indian cities amid a deepening shortage of aluminium beverage cans triggered by supply disruptions in the Gulf.

The shortage, which first surfaced in Mumbai, has since spread to Bengaluru, Pune and parts of Delhi-National Capital Region, just as the summer is driving double-digit growth in cola and beer sales, the Economic Times (ET) reported.

The Gulf accounts for around 9 per cent of global aluminium production, much of which has been trapped since the end of February by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

Why Diet Coke is hit harde...