Commentary
Nur Arafeh
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"The Iran War’s Global Reach"
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Source: Getty
Commentary
What Does the Strait of Hormuz’s Closure Mean?
In an interview, Roger Diwan discusses where the global economy may be going in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
By Nur Arafeh
Published on Mar 19, 2026
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Roger Diwan is vice president at S&P Global Energy and heads a dedicated research team that provides integrated energy advisory to the financial sector. Recently, Diwan sat with Nur Arafeh, who co-leads Carnegie’s Political Economy Program focused on the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Their discussion addressed the repercussions of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has raised oil prices and created major concerns about inflationary pressures worldwide as well as fears of a slowdown in the international economy.
About the Author
Nur Arafeh
Former Nonresident Scholar, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Nur Arafeh is a senior fellow and head of the Political Economy Program at the Arab Center Washington, DC. Until August 2026, she was a fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center and co-leader of its Political Economy Program.
- Oil and Geopolitical Stability
- Arab Diaspora Business Communities in EgyptResearch
- +4
Maya Chehade, Marie Bassi, Duaa Abuswar, …
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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