No Commodity Is Safe From the Iran War

From Diet Coke to condoms, the world’s supply chains have faced surprising downstream disruptions.

Foreign Policy
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No Commodity Is Safe From the Iran War
An infographic featuring a large central circular map of the Strait of Hormuz, showing the narrow waterway between landmasses. Surrounding the central map are several colorful circular icons, each containing an everyday object, connected to the map by thin black lines. The objects in the icons, moving clockwise from the top left, include: A yellow electric car, a gray missile, a gold star-shaped balloon, a silver aluminum beverage can, a pile of computer microchips, a square silver foil packet, resembling a condom wrapper, a white clawfoot bathtub, a yellow puffy winter jacket, a pair of white latex gloves Small, solid-colored dots in shades of yellow, beige, and black are scattered around the graphic.
An infographic featuring a large central circular map of the Strait of Hormuz, showing the narrow waterway between landmasses. Surrounding the central map are several colorful circular icons, each containing an everyday object, connected to the map by thin black lines. The objects in the icons, moving clockwise from the top left, include: A yellow electric car, a gray missile, a gold star-shaped balloon, a silver aluminum beverage can, a pile of computer microchips, a square silver foil packet, resembling a condom wrapper, a white clawfoot bathtub, a yellow puffy winter jacket, a pair of white latex gloves Small, solid-colored dots in shades of yellow, beige, and black are scattered around the graphic.
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    The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has laid bare the world’s economic dependence on the narrow waterway leading out of the Persian Gulf. Nearly three months into the Iran war, it is well known that around one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum products normally passes through the strait.

    Rising energy prices might be just the first harbinger of a truly global crisis, though. Despite a U.S.-Iran cease-fire, the ongoing Hormuz blockade is straining supplies of the other critical yet overlooked ingredients of the world economy that are downstream from fossil fuels, including sulfur, helium, nitrogen, aluminum, and plastics.

    The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has laid bare the world’s economic dependence on the narrow waterway leading out of the Persian Gulf. Nearly three months into the Iran war, it is well known that around one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum products normally passes through the strait.

    Rising energy prices might be just the first harbinger of a truly global crisis, though. Despite a U.S.-Iran cease-fire, the ongoing Hormuz blockade is straining supplies of the other critical yet overlooked ingredients of the world economy that are downstream from fossil fuels, including sulfur, helium, nitrogen, aluminum, and plastics.

    Trace those shortages further down supply chains, and it becomes clear that few commodities are insulated from the Iran war. From diet soda to the semiconductor industry and beyond, the impact of the conflict will likely be felt around the world long after the strait reopens.

    This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverageRead more here.

  • Health
  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa

    Maxine Davey is an editorial fellow at Foreign Policy.

    Eli Wizevich is an editorial fellow at Foreign Policy.

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    A creative illustration against a pale yellow background showing a garden planter containing a dense green hedge. Five human arms emerge from the hedge, with four of the hands holding small flags of China, Russia, the United States, and the European Union, while the fifth hand holds the flag of India.
    A creative illustration against a pale yellow background showing a garden planter containing a dense green hedge. Five human arms emerge from the hedge, with four of the hands holding small flags of China, Russia, the United States, and the European Union, while the fifth hand holds the flag of India.
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  • Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin raises his right hand in a salute to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is walking a level lower in a red-carpeted auditorium.
    Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin raises his right hand in a salute to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is walking a level lower in a red-carpeted auditorium.
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    An aerial photo shows Doha in the booming petrostate of Qatar.
  • A man in a white collared shirt raises his right hand as if taking an oath or being sworn in. The image is a black-and-white, close-up shot of his profile.
    A man in a white collared shirt raises his right hand as if taking an oath or being sworn in. The image is a black-and-white, close-up shot of his profile.
  • Visitors walk by a world map carved in stone at a plaza in southwest China's Chongqing municipality on May 19, 2010.
    Visitors walk by a world map carved in stone at a plaza in southwest China's Chongqing municipality on May 19, 2010.
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    An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.
  • An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.
    An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.
  • An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.
    An illustration collage featuring a profile portrait of a man in a suit on the right side. The left side shows a stylized orange silhouette of his head containing the Great Seal of the United States. The background consists of a dark map of the Middle East with various locations labeled, including Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Iran. The overall color palette uses dark tones with high-contrast red and white accents.
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