Strait of Hormuz shutdown exposes corporate and national resilience gaps

The 2026 Iran war forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting oil throughput from an estimated 16‑20 million barrels per day to just 1‑2 million. Brent crude prices surged above $138 a barrel in April and stayed above $100 for much of the year. Suez Canal traffic fell dramatically, prompting ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, which added cost and delay. Marine insurers began repricing Gulf transits, often moving to voyage‑by‑voyage terms. Companies that appeared to maintain operations relied heavily on a small number of individuals manually managing rerouting and escalation, revealing that documented resilience plans were insufficient under prolonged pressure.

Separately, Marsh McLennan and the UK National Preparedness Commission released a report titled “Building Confidence in the Future,” proposing a framework for measuring national resilience. The paper outlines seven analytical approaches to assess a nation’s capabilities and preparedness, drawing on practices from multiple countries and featuring contributions from senior experts across Marsh, Mercer, Guy Wyman, and Oliver Wyman.