The Iran conflict is sending shockwaves through global energy, trade and economic systems. UNSW experts are available to help the media unpack what it means for Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
Conflict, security and geopolitics
Professor David Kilcullen (UNSW Canberra – international security and conflict expert) can comment on how conflicts in the Middle East evolve and escalate, including the risks of irregular warfare – non-state or hybrid forms of conflict – and their implications for global security. A former adviser in Iraq and Afghanistan, he can assess how localised conflicts expand across regions and reshape strategic risk.
Professor Douglas Guilfoyle (UNSW Canberra – international law and national security expert) can comment on the legal and strategic dimensions of conflict, including maritime security risks, trade disruption and Australia’s exposure to supply chain vulnerabilities. His work examines how crises test international law frameworks and national resilience, particularly in relation to fuel, pharmaceuticals and critical imports.
Dr Albert Palazzo (UNSW Canberra – military strategy and defence policy expert) can comment on the strategic implications of Middle East conflict for Australia and its allies, including alliance dynamics, force posture and risks to maritime trade. His research focuses on how modern warfare shapes long-term defence planning and preparedness.
Dr Andrew Maher (UNSW Canberra – international relations and war studies expert) can comment on the geopolitical consequences of conflict in the Middle East, including regional instability, non-state armed groups and shifting global alliances. His work examines how states respond to strategic uncertainty and how power dynamics shape international cooperation.
Ms Jennifer Parker (Adjunct Fellow in Naval Studies, UNSW Canberra) can comment on the strategic and military dimensions of the Iran conflict, including risks to key shipping corridors, escalation dynamics and the security of global energy supply routes. Drawing on more than 20 years’ experience in the Royal Australian Navy, including roles in defence planning, military campaign design and leading multinational maritime operations in the Middle East, she can assess how coalition responses, freedom of navigation and the law of the sea shape the trajectory of the conflict and its implications for Australia and Indo-Pacific security.
Energy, climate and global systems
Dr Wesley Morgan (UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response – climate diplomacy and energy policy expert) can discuss how escalating conflict in the Middle East is reshaping global energy security and climate diplomacy, including tensions between short-term fossil fuel stability and long-term decarbonisation. Drawing on his expertise in Australia–Pacific relations, he can assess how these shifts reverberate through the Indo-Pacific, influencing regional alliances and climate leadership.
Professor Elizabeth Thurbon (Director, Green Energy Statecraft Project – international political economy expert) can speak to how conflicts such as the Iran war reshape global power through economic statecraft – the strategic use of trade, finance and energy systems to advance national interests. She can explain how energy security, industrial policy and sovereignty are increasingly intertwined, with states using clean energy transitions and supply chains as tools of geopolitical competition.
Professor Tommy Wiedmann (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney – industrial ecology and sustainability expert) specialises in comprehensive carbon footprint analysis – measuring emissions across entire global supply chains, including the embodied emissions embedded in materials and infrastructure. He can speak to the climate cost of conflict from a general systems perspective, from direct fuel use to the upstream and downstream emissions linked to weapons production and post-war reconstruction.
Professor Bryce Kelly (School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney – emissions measurement expert) can speak to the “measurement blind spot” around conflict-related emissions, including the limits of satellite monitoring of methane leaks and damaged oil and gas infrastructure. He can assess how improved measurement and verification systems – used to track and audit greenhouse gases – could strengthen accountability during geopolitical instability.
Associate Professor Cheng-Lung Wu (School of Aviation, UNSW Sydney – aviation operations expert) can comment on the implications of jet fuel disruptions for airline operations, airport capacity and air freight, including how airlines prioritise routes, manage scheduling constraints and respond to fuel volatility. His research examines airline scheduling, airport operations and the resilience of aviation networks under operational stress.
Economic systems, supply chains and risk propagation
Dr Elnaz Irannezhad (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney – transport and logistics expert) can comment on how fuel shortages affect freight networks, ports and heavy vehicle operations, including how disruptions cascade through supply chains and the challenges of prioritising fuel allocation across critical sectors.
Dr Graham Doig (School of Aviation, UNSW Sydney – aeronautical engineering and aviation systems expert) can comment on how disruptions to fuel supply and global aviation systems affect air transport, freight and logistics, including how industry responds to operational constraints and shifting demand.
Dr Timothy Neal (Scientia Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney, UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response) can explain how shocks propagate through interconnected economic systems, affecting inflation, supply chains and food security. He can also speak to panic buying and demand surges, drawing on COVID-19 research showing how uncertainty and policy signals can strain just-in-time supply chains (systems designed to minimise inventory).
Professor Johannes le Coutre (UNSW Engineering – food security expert) can comment on the war’s implications for global food systems, including disruptions to fertiliser supply and shipping routes. His work examines how such shocks affect crop yields, nutrition and health, and why highly efficient food systems often lack resilience to disruption.
Dr Tanya Fiedler (Scientia Fellow, UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response, School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation) can speak to how cascading shocks across energy, supply chains and finance challenge conventional accounting and risk disclosure frameworks. She can explain the growing use of scenario analysis and narrative “storylines” – structured accounts of how risks may unfold – to better capture uncertainty in volatile conditions.
Behavioural and societal responses
Professor Ben Newell (UNSW Psychology; Director, UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response) can explain how crises act as behavioural “tipping points”, prompting individuals to reassess entrenched habits such as energy use and transport choices. His research on status quo bias – the tendency to stick with existing decisions – shows how shocks can accelerate shifts towards alternatives, including electric vehicles and reduced consumption.
Scientia Professor Manju Ahuja (School of Information Systems and Technology Management, UNSW Sydney – digital transformation and hybrid work expert) can speak to whether a shift to remote work is a practical response to fuel disruption. She can assess trade-offs between reduced commuting and challenges such as productivity, technology overload and work-life boundaries.
Associate Professor Sue Williamson (School of Business, UNSW Canberra – public sector and workforce expert) can comment on how governments and large employers may use remote and hybrid work to maintain operations during energy shocks. She can explain what enables effective implementation, including managerial support, employee engagement and the uneven impacts across different workers.
Professor Elizabeth Fernandez (School of Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney – social policy and child welfare expert) can speak to the household and community effects of crisis-driven work changes, particularly how sudden shifts in routines can affect family stress, care arrangements and vulnerable children. Her research highlights how these shocks disproportionately affect vulnerable groups.
