Iran War Reshapes Global Energy Security and Clean Energy Shift

The Iran war has disrupted global energy flows, pressured governments to reassess supply security, and accelerated clean energy policies as restrictions around key Middle East trade routes affect oil and gas markets. According to Al Jazeera, the Strait of Hormuz previously carried about 27 percent of global seaborne oil trade and nearly 20 percent of liquefied natural gas trade before conflict-related disruptions. The World Petroleum Council Energy Congress began in Riyadh despite a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.

The International Energy Forum meeting held alongside the conference involves 68 countries representing more than 90 percent of global oil and gas supplies and demand, according to Al Jazeera.

Richard Matthews, director of consultancy and research at Gibson Shipbrokers, described the impact of reduced traffic through major energy routes. "That’s probably the first time we’ve really seen a major constriction of a chokepoint," said Richard Matthews, director of consultancy and research at Gibson Shipbrokers.

Matthews told Al Jazeera that the Strait of Hormuz has limited alternatives for maritime transport, making disruptions there especially significant for cargo movement. "There is no alternative maritime route. There are some pipelines, but there’s no alternative, which is why it’s been so significant in terms of cargo volume," said Richard Matthews, director of consultancy and research at Gibson Shipbrokers.

Saudi Aramco chief Amin Nasser warned that emergency oil supplies have become more limited after major releases during the crisis. "Estimates suggest less than 6 billion barrels of commercial inventories remain today with the vast majority not practically available," said Amin Nasser, head of Saudi Aramco. The International Energy Agency released a record 400 million barrels of oil in March and prepared another 100 million barrels of crude and diesel to ease supply pressure, according to Al Jazeera.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the conflict changed perceptions about energy dependence and increased attention on renewable alternatives.

"Greatest gift," said Gavin Newsom, describing President Trump in remarks about the conflict’s effect on environmental movements. Newsom said the disruption highlighted vulnerabilities tied to fossil fuel dependence and encouraged greater investment in alternative energy systems. "He’s woken the world up to how vulnerable we are to petro-dictatorships, how vulnerable we are to disruptions in the Middle East," said Gavin Newsom.

Newsom also linked the conflict with increased renewable energy investment and changing views on energy security.

"This war has completely gutted any sort of romantic notions of energy security, and it’s compelled folks to think differently. It’s accelerating investments and clean energy and renewables," said Gavin Newsom. Delphine Lévi Alvarès of the Centre for International Environmental Law said the disruption showed the wider role of fossil fuels beyond energy production.

"We cannot continue relying on fossil fuels neither for energy nor for material," said Delphine Lévi Alvarès, global petrochemicals campaign manager at the Centre for International Environmental Law. Alvarès added that fossil fuel dependence affects a broad range of products and industries around the world.

"We cannot continue relying on fossil fuels for absolutely everything around us," said Delphine Lévi Alvarès, global petrochemicals campaign manager at the Centre for International Environmental Law. More than 30 governments have adopted policies to reduce fossil fuel use or improve energy efficiency, according to an International Energy Agency crisis tracker cited by Oilprice.com. Pauline Heinrichs, a lecturer of war studies at King’s College London, said governments are balancing clean energy goals with continued fossil fuel support.

"Governments are currently doing a dance between acknowledging the importance of clean power while continuing to support fossil fuel expansion," said Pauline Heinrichs, a lecturer of war studies at King’s College London.

Heinrichs said the energy transition is occurring alongside continued reliance on existing systems. "We are seeing an old and a new world interact in contradiction with each other," said Pauline Heinrichs, a lecturer of war studies at King’s College London. Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson emphasized that sustained policies are needed for long-term climate impacts.

"We need that action over years, to decades, to make a dent in the climate problem," said Rob Jackson, Stanford University climate scientist.

According to Carbon Brief, global fossil fuel emissions are expected to fall about 0.5 percent in 2026, while the International Energy Agency estimated peak oil consumption may occur this year instead of 2029 as previously forecast.