NEW YORK CITY, New York: The war involving Iran is not only disrupting global oil markets but is also rippling across international supply chains, raising the risk of delays, shortages, and higher prices for goods ranging from pharmaceuticals to electronics.

Shipping routes through the Middle East have been severely disrupted, with oil tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted and airlines suspending flights across much of the region. Cargo vessels are either stuck inside the Persian Gulf or rerouting around Africa, while air freight capacity has been sharply reduced as airports and airspace close.

Supply chain specialists warn that if the conflict drags on, the disruptions could spread across multiple industries.

"This is really causing some major impacts within the global supply chain," said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. "As this conflict keeps progressing, you'll start to see some shortages, you'll see some major price increases."

Ships Stalled in the Gulf

According to Clarksons Research, roughly 3,200 ships, about four percent of global shipping tonnage, are currently idle inside the Persian Gulf. That figure includes around 1,231 vessels that typically operate only within the region. Another 500 ships, or about one percent of global tonnage, are waiting outside the Gulf in ports off the coasts of the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

While those percentages may appear small, experts say the ripple effects across global logistics can be significant.

"The supply chain is kind of like a long train with many cars, and each car represents, let's say, a port in the world. Well, if one car gets derailed, it can very often have a domino effect to many other cars behind it or in front of it," said Michael Goldman, general manager North America of CARU Containers. "So, although we only have a small number of ports affected by this military action, it can really have a big effect on the total supply chain."

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is exploring measures to restore shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz. On social media, he said he had ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to offer political risk insurance to tankers carrying goods through the Persian Gulf "at a very reasonable price."

Political risk insurance protects companies against losses arising from conflict, government action, or instability. Marine insurers have recently canceled coverage or sharply raised rates for shipping in the region.

Trump also said the U.S. Navy could escort oil tankers through the strait if necessary. The Navy currently has at least eight destroyers and three littoral combat ships in the region that have previously escorted commercial shipping in both the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.

Goods from Chips to Fertilizers Affected

The Middle East is a critical transit route for many goods beyond oil. Along with roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, the region exports natural gas–based products such as petrochemical feedstocks used to make plastics and rubber, as well as nitrogen fertilizers.

The region is also a key shipping corridor for pharmaceuticals produced in India and semiconductors and batteries exported from Asia to global markets. Delays in these routes could disrupt supply chains for industries ranging from consumer electronics to agriculture.

Shipping companies are already diverting vessels away from the region. Maersk said over the weekend it had begun rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, rather than using the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

That alternative route adds between 10 and 14 days to shipping times and roughly US$1 million in additional fuel costs per vessel, Penfield said.

Rising fuel prices, longer voyages, and heightened security risks are pushing shipping companies to add fuel and conflict-related surcharges, which ultimately raise costs for businesses and consumers.

Air Cargo Squeezed

Air freight has also been heavily affected as airports and airspace across the region shut down. Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran have closed airports or restricted flights, stranding both passengers and cargo.

Although air freight accounts for less than one percent of global cargo by volume, it represents about 35 percent of global trade value because it carries high-value or time-sensitive goods such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and fresh produce, according to Boeing's World Air Cargo Forecast.

Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group, said the closures could significantly disrupt shipments from India.

"Remember, there are a lot of pharmaceutical products that are made in India and then exported to different countries around the world. If that's disrupted, that has a huge, huge, huge impact," he said.

Air freight rates are expected to rise as capacity tightens. Maersk said in an update Tuesday that airlines are considering introducing "war risk" surcharges on shipments routed through affected areas, along with additional costs linked to higher jet fuel prices.

An Industry Used to Disruption

Despite the turmoil, supply chain experts say the industry has become more resilient after recent shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier conflicts in the Middle East.

"The specific situation that's happening is pretty unprecedented, so it's very unique from that perspective," Goldman said. "(But) for the last few years, the industry just kind of runs on disruption. So, in terms of our industry having disruption, that is nothing new. That's more of the same."