The modern global economy runs on an invisible architecture of supply chains—shipping routes, energy corridors and logistical networks that bind continents together. For decades, these systems have quietly enabled prosperity from Shanghai to Rotterdam. But the escalating confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel now threatens to expose how fragile this architecture really is.

The first shock has come through geography. Iran sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly one-fifth of global oil and a large share of liquefied natural gas shipments pass through this narrow waterway. When conflict disrupts traffic through the strait, the consequences ripple far beyond the Persian Gulf.

Already, tanker traffic has slowed dramatically and insurers have raised risk premiums, forcing shipping companies to reconsider routes. The result is a sudden tightening of global energy supplies and rising transport costs. Oil prices have surged amid fears that shipments through the strait could be halted entirely, a disruption that analysts warn could destabilize global........

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