• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
LeadershipLeadership

CEOs shouldn’t worry about the economic fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict—yet

By
Lila MacLellan
Lila MacLellan
Former Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lila MacLellan
Lila MacLellan
Former Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 3, 2024, 12:20 PM ET
People take cover behind vehicles under a bridge along the side of a highway in Tel Aviv on Oct. 1, 2024.
People take cover behind vehicles under a bridge along the side of a highway in Tel Aviv on Oct. 1, 2024.JACK GUEZ—AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The world is on edge watching the Middle East this week following Iran’s surprising missile attacks on Israel, and Israel’s vow to respond.

Recommended Video

On Oct. 1, Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles into Israel in retaliation for Israel’s late-September killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political organization in Lebanon. Millions of Israelis were forced to seek safety in bomb shelters, but most of the incoming missiles were intercepted. Those that landed did not cause significant damage.

From a humanitarian standpoint, the ongoing, widening conflict—now also involving several strikes in densely populated areas of Lebanon—following a year of devastating loss of life in Gaza and the Oct. 7 terror attacks, is dire and alarming. But from an economic perspective, the escalation doesn’t represent a crisis—yet.

Johan Gott, cofounder of Prism, a consulting company specializing in political risk, says Iran’s stunning attack demonstrated that Tehran doesn’t have the capacity to damage the parts of Israel’s infrastructure and industry that are connected to the global economy, such as its semiconductor sector. “We have removed that worry on a large scale,” he tells Fortune. “At least thus far.”

The real threat to global economic stability remains the possibility that, with Iran drawn deeper into the conflict, Tehran could target oil infrastructure and trading routes in the Persian Gulf, through which roughly 25% of global oil shipments travel. “A closure there would be unprecedented,” says Gott. “There would be immediate, massive implications.” 

“Thus far, oil prices have been kept in check, despite the high risk of conflict in the Middle East, a bit of a historical anomaly,” Prism also writes in a new report. “But Israeli strikes on Iranian oil production or Iranian disruption of oil exports of the Persian Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc.) would change that immediately. We could see a doubling or tripling of oil prices.”

Oil prices have modestly increased this week. Brent crude, which was trading at $71 a barrel before Iran’s attack, hit $76 on Oct. 2 and stood at $75 at the time of writing.

To complicate matters, an oil supply crunch could coincide with a surge in demand, given rate cuts in the U.S. and China’s new efforts to use stimulus to kick-start its weak economy. Those stimulus efforts are starting to pay off, with Chinese equity markets “spiking,” says George Coe, cofounder of Prism. In recent years, China’s faltering demand has kept commodity prices lower. So among many intersecting concerns related to a potential oil supply disruption, “you could have a demand spike and a supply problem at the same time,” Coe explains, which in turn could lead to higher prices and shortages. 

What CEOs should be paying attention to

Still, say the pair, short of such a scenario, their advice to U.S. CEOs is to keep an eye on threats closer to home. The dockworker strike at U.S. ports and the potential for it to cause supply-chain chaos, which could also reintroduce inflation, should loom large with business leaders. The potential impacts of the strike have been underreported, they say.

But the duo’s larger concern is the U.S. election and protectionist trade policies floated by former President Donald Trump. The Republican nominee has promised to implement universal import tariffs if he wins in November and steeper tariffs on already taxed Chinese goods. Most mainstream economists say his policies would have enormous consequences for American families, but also global companies, including some of the largest U.S. multinational businesses, as Fortune’s Geoff Colvin reports. (Democratic nominee Kamala Harris supports “targeted and strategic” tariffs, a spokesperson told Colvin.)

Companies are still responding to the trade war Trump kicked off with China in his first term by reorienting their cost structures and supply chains, says Coe, and Trump’s latest proposals are far more extreme. “Some calculations indicate half a trillion worth of increased cost per year for U.S. imports—a number that then needs to be doubled to account for all but certain U.S. trade partner retaliation,” the duo write in their new report. “This would be a much bigger shock to global supply chains than the China trade war in Trump’s first term.“

During his first term, companies didn’t proactively respond to Trump’s tariff proposals, believing they were too outlandish, Gott adds. Despite all the noise about people eating pets and other bizarre claims, he continues, Trump has been consistent with his policies on trade, and he successfully executed on them in his first term. Four years later, if Trump wins, Gott says, discounting his trade proposals again would be “a huge mistake.”

About the Author
By Lila MacLellanFormer Senior Writer
LinkedIn icon

Lila MacLellan is a former senior writer at Fortune, where she covered topics in leadership.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

buffett
SuccessWealth
‘The man who dies rich dies disgraced’: The last time America had such wealth inequality, Andrew Carnegie knew he had to give it all away
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
SuccessBillionaires
Larry Page and Sergey Brin splash $225 million in Miami property as billionaires flee California’s tax—and Google is expanding its office there too
By Emma BurleighJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
North AmericaWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
By Sydney LakeJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
Jon Gray leans while talking and sitting in a chair
SuccessCareers
Blackstone president Jon Gray tells Gen Z to think like founders at work—but a growing number are skipping the corporate ladder to become one for real
By Preston ForeJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
clark
North AmericaMedia
Ryan Clark found out he was fired live, mid-broadcast, on NFL Live as ESPN undergoes first major layoffs in 3 years
By Joe Reedy and The Associated PressJuly 22, 2026
11 hours ago
A woman observes stock trends on her smartphone while a computer screen displays financial graphs.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Beyond SpaceX: Why great IPOs depend on more than first-day demand
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 22, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.