Iran-Israel strife throws out a lifeline to shippers

ESCALATING aggression in the Middle East, most recently with the renewed Israel-Iran conflict, is causing more headaches for global supply chains and logistics operators. Perversely, that’s being turned into good news for shippers already accustomed to bottlenecks and delays.

This month’s seizure of container carrier MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz would ordinarily have been enough to put the shipping industry on edge. Yet it’s merely the latest drama to afflict international transport in the past year, and the reaction shows how pragmatic the sector is among all the turmoil.

The narrative surrounding this one ship tells a lot about the complicated story of transport. The fresh bout of hostilities kicked off in October when Hamas attacked Israel, prompting a massive invasion of Gaza.