Unilever Freezes Hiring Amid Rising Shipping Costs from Iran War

Financial outlets frame the Iran conflict as a supply shock that lifts energy, grain and fertiliser prices while threatening to slow growth. They stress that companies like Unilever are freezing hiring and that countries such as South Korea and EU members are already seeing higher inflation and heavier import bills. Many expect central banks and the IMF to face harder choices if the war continues, balancing inflation control against the risk of recession.

• •The Iran war has added billions of euros to Europe’s annual energy import costs.
• •Grain prices are rising as weak US plantings combine with conflict-related supply worries.
• •South Korea’s March 2026 inflation uptick is partly driven by higher energy prices linked to the war.
• •Unilever’s hiring freeze is presented as an early sign of corporate belt-tightening under cost pressure.
• •Economists warn that prolonged conflict could push vulnerable economies toward stagflation, with high prices and weak growth.