What the U.S.–Iran Conflict Means for Corporate Security Teams

Mark Freedman | March 06, 2026

Composite image of the United States and Iran flags blended together, representing geopolitical tensions and the escalating US–Iran conflict impacting global security.

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By Mark Freedman

For businesses, geopolitical crises often feel distant until they suddenly are not. The war between the United States and Iran is one of those moments.

Operation Epic Fury

On February 28, the United States launched Operation Epic Fury, a combined U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran. In a press briefing on March 4, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth articulated the objectives of the operation as follows: “Obliterate Iran's missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons.”

In the days since the beginning of the operation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes against several countries across the Middle East, including Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Cyprus. As a result, the U.S. State Department issued an advisory urging American citizens to depart urgently from much of the Middle East. As of this writing, the regional security situation continues to deteriorate.

Key Impacts to Businesses

The situation in Iran, the region, and globally will continue to evolve rapidly in the coming days and weeks. In the immediate term, corporate security, intelligence, and risk teams should consider the following threat and risk vectors.

Kinetic Strikes Across the Region: As the conflict continued through its first week, it became clear that missile interceptors used by many countries across the region to intercept Iranian missiles and drones could run low. The use of these interceptors throughout the early days of the conflict has been key in limiting the number of Iranian munitions that can hit their targets. If interceptors are depleted before Iranian missiles and drones, the number of successful kinetic Iranian attacks across the region could increase significantly.
Maritime and Supply Chain Disruptions: Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed dramatically, posing serious risks to global energy markets. Supply chain disruptions are now increasingly impacting other industries, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and more. A protracted conflict would likely extend and compound these disruptions.
Airspace Closures: Relatedly, this conflict has caused the largest travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic. Airspace has been closed either fully or intermittently across much of the region, leaving business travelers stranded. These disruptions can cascade into broader travel delays and operational complications for multinational companies with personnel in the region.
Global Terrorism: The threat environment is not limited to the Middle East. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned that Iranian retaliation could potentially target infrastructure and companies outside the region, including in the United States. Energy companies and other critical infrastructure operators have been urged to review security posture in light of potential threats.
Cyber Threats: Cyber activity is another area of concern. Iranian state-linked hacking groups have a long track record of targeting companies, government agencies, and infrastructure operators during periods of geopolitical tension. Even when major attacks do not immediately materialize, the risk remains elevated.

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Operating in a Heightened State of Alert

In moments like this, corporate security teams should resist the temptation to wait for a specific warning tied to their company or industry. The more effective approach is to move into a temporary posture of heightened alert while monitoring how the situation evolves.

Intelligence monitoring is particularly important.

Security and intelligence teams should track developments across several fronts: military and security activity in the region, statements from government officials (including U.S., Israeli, Iranian, and others), security advisories, and cyber threat reporting. Even small indicators can provide early warning of broader escalation. Social media is a key source for monitoring this activity but must be carefully filtered and evaluated for credibility and relevance.

Scenario planning is also essential.

In the coming weeks, we could see a protracted conflict, a shift in Iranian tactics, the collapse of the Iranian regime, increased terrorist attacks across the West, and many more potential scenarios. Dedicating time to thinking through these potential outcomes and their impact on corporate operations will help security and intelligence teams mount a stronger and more anticipatory response.

Finally, organizations should go “shields up” during periods of geopolitical tension.

This means temporarily increasing vigilance across both physical and cyber domains. Security operations centers may increase monitoring thresholds, while corporate security teams coordinate closely with IT, crisis management, and executive leadership to apply additional security countermeasures when and where appropriate.

The confrontation between the United States and Iran is unlikely to resolve quickly. Organizations that treat geopolitical intelligence as a core element of their security posture will be far better positioned to navigate the current crisis and future similar events.

Mark Freedman

Principal & CEO, Rebel Global Security

Mark Freedman is Principal and CEO of Rebel Global Security and was formerly the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of State’s Counterterrorism Bureau. This post is part of Liferaft and Rebel’s collaborative work to analyze the evolving global threat environment and provide critical insights to private sector and government clients.