Iran Conflict Threatens Global Economy, Energy Markets — Expert

Now is not the time to relax: immediate and lasting economic damage

Last Updated: March 3, 2026 at 7:17 a.m. ET

Oil has shot to its highest in a year and stock futures are tumbling as markets price rising geopolitical risk after the recent escalation in the Middle East. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned of investor complacency; energy expert Anas Alhajji says the economic damage could continue even if active hostilities end tomorrow.

Key takeaway

Market signals are clear and widening: an acute shock to energy supply perception has translated into higher oil price risk premia, increased volatility in equities and fixed income, and renewed shipping and insurance costs that act as a persistent drag on trade and growth.

Market signals and immediate impacts

• Oil: The market has repriced geopolitical risk, pushing crude to its highest level in a year. That repricing increases costs for consumers, manufacturers and logistics providers and tightens margins for businesses with narrow pricing power.
• Equities: Stock futures dropped on renewed risk-off sentiment, reflecting higher uncertainty about earnings and growth in the near term.
• Volatility and risk premia: Volatility measures and insurance-related costs for maritime and energy infrastructure rise quickly during conflict, creating sustained cost increases even after direct hostilities subside.

These movements are not just short-term blips: they embed new risk premia across multiple asset classes and supply chains.

New threats to energy infrastructure: drones, asymmetric attacks and supply-chain fragility

Drones and other low-cost, asymmetric attack methods change the economics of risk. Unlike conventional strikes that target infrastructure and can be repaired over time, drone-enabled attacks increase operational uncertainty across:

• Offshore platforms and rigs
• Terminal and pipeline operations
• Maritime transit (tankers and LNG carriers)

Increased operational risk leads to higher insurance premiums, rerouting costs and potential shut-ins of production capacity. Those costs compound and can persist after kinetic events subside because insurers, shippers and operators typically rebuild risk models and pricing assumptions.

How the shock can produce long-lasting global economic damage

1. Persistent inflationary pressure: Higher energy and shipping costs feed into broader producer and consumer prices. Central banks may face a trade-off between fighting inflation and supporting growth.

2. Supply-chain reconfiguration: Firms that rely on just-in-time logistics or regional manufacturing clusters may face higher input lead times and elevated working capital needs.

3. Financial market contagion: Elevated volatility can widen credit spreads for vulnerable corporate borrowers and increase funding costs for emerging markets reliant on energy imports.

4. Structural investment shifts: Energy companies may delay or reallocate capital expenditure due to security risks, while insurers and logistics firms revise underwriting frameworks, causing a reallocation of capital away from higher-risk corridors.

Sector and ticker implications (examples for institutional investors)

• Integrated oil majors (e.g., XOM, CVX): Increased upstream risk premia can lift realized prices and near-term revenue, but higher operating and security costs compress margins if disruptions persist.
• Oilfield services (e.g., SLB): Operational and maintenance schedules for rigs and platforms may be deferred; demand for repair and security services rises but capital budgets can be delayed.
• Shipping and insurers: Reinsurance and P&I clubs will likely raise premiums and tighten coverage in high-risk regions, increasing operating costs for tanker owners and commodity traders.

Note: Use tickers as part of a broader risk framework rather than as short-term trade signals. Position sizing and scenario analysis should reflect increased tail-risk probabilities.

What institutional investors and traders should monitor now

• Real-time crude and refined product spreads: Widening spreads can indicate supply-chain bottlenecks or regional tightness.
• Shipping route disruptions and insurance notices: Changes to Suez, Bab el-Mandeb or Gulf transit patterns materially affect shipping times and costs.
• Credit spreads for energy-intensive sectors: Watch for spillover from commodity-driven stress to industrials and financials.
• Volatility indices and term structure: A persistent elevation in implied volatility suggests the market is pricing longer-duration risk.

Tactical and strategic risk management steps

• Reassess duration and credit exposure: Shorten maturities where counterparty or sovereign risk has increased and hedge credit-sensitive exposures.
• Stress test commodity and input-cost scenarios: Build multi-scenario models (swift de-escalation, intermittent flare-ups, protracted disruption) to quantify P&L and liquidity impacts.
• Review operational countermeasures: For energy-sector portfolios, account for higher insurance, security and remediation costs in cash-flow forecasts.
• Maintain liquidity cushions: Higher volatility and potential market dislocations make liquidity management a priority for funds and corporates.

Investment framing for professionals

This environment rewards disciplined scenario analysis and conviction-size control. Rather than reflexive directional bets, consider:

• Hedging strategies that pay off in elevated energy-price scenarios or in rising volatility environments.
• Selective exposure to securities with robust balance sheets and pricing power to absorb higher input costs.
• Monitoring policy and central-bank communications for shifts that could materially alter the growth-inflation trade-off.

Quotable, citation-ready statement

"Even if hostilities end immediately, the shock to energy markets, insurance costs and supply chains can create persistent economic drag by embedding higher risk premia across commodities, trade and financial markets." — Energy market assessment

Bottom line

The recent escalation has already moved market pricing; the key risk for investors is the persistence of elevated costs and uncertainty. Structural changes in threat vectors — notably the use of drones and asymmetric tactics — mean that risk models must be recalibrated. Institutional investors should prioritize scenario planning, liquidity resilience and targeted hedging to manage a landscape where temporary conflicts can produce long-lasting economic consequences.