On the first weekend of March, the conflict that has been simmering between the USA, Israel and Iran for decades escalated – with air strikes on Iranian cities such as Tehran. Iran responded with setbacks at US military bases, including in Dubai. The federal government is currently planning to send planes to Muscat in Oman and the Saudi capital Riyadh to get German citizens out of the country.
Companies that currently have employees deployed abroad in Iran must now also fulfill their duty of care. International SOS specializes in international corporate security and health services and is currently operating locally in Iran. “We have been preparing for this escalation for some time. However, we did not know the exact timing,” says Wolfgang Hofmann, Regional Security Manager, Germany & Austria at International SOS. Employees are currently being located and, if possible, either being transported to a safe location in Iran or out of the country. “This is made even more difficult for Iran by the sanctions regime,” explains Hofmann. He emphasizes the importance of prevention when sending people abroad to potential crisis areas.
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Prevention for crisis areas: What companies can do
Wolfgang Hofmann, Regional Security Manager, Germany & Austria, International SOS, advises companies to develop and implement escalation or evacuation plans before a crisis occurs.
Further prevention measures:
– Human resources departments should make it clear to companies the need for care on the one hand and compliance with legal regulations on occupational safety and occupational health care on the other.
– Create a basis through an individual risk assessment that combines the risks and dangers that a country entails with the profile of the people traveling and the sending company as well as the purpose of the trip.
– Provide employees with comprehensive training before departure, for example about local health and rescue services.
You can read more about the topic in the detailed interview with Wolfgang Hofmann.
Risk management in political crises
Although there is a strong awareness of the risk of geopolitical tensions in companies, it is often not taken into account in risk management. This was the result of the “Risk Outlook 2026” survey conducted by International SOS among 860 managers. Only slightly more than half of those surveyed stated that they take political crises into account in their risk management. At the same time, they were the most frequently cited driver of uncertainty in the global risk landscape in the survey. This is confirmed by the World Economic Forum survey from 2026. Here too, geopolitics is the most frequently perceived risk factor. The survey was conducted among around 1,300 experts worldwide from various areas of science, business, government, international organizations and civil society.
Since 2021, ISO 31030, an international guideline that companies can follow, has provided guidance for risk assessments when traveling. The Federal Foreign Office has also set up the Electronic Registration of Germans Abroad (ELEFAND) service for German citizens abroad as crisis prevention. According to the office, a medium three-digit number of German citizens are currently registered in Iran.
Address the concerns of the workforce
Global crises also have an impact on employees who are not directly affected. They can cause or increase worries and fears, which in turn have a negative impact on psychological well-being. At the beginning of 2024, in a survey by the e-learning provider Pinktum of around 1,000 employees surveyed, 43 percent said that the ongoing global crises were the reason for their growing exhaustion.
Dr. Neşe Oktay-Gür advises companies on healthy work culture. Due to the current world situation, she is seeing an increase in inquiries because “uncertainty has become the context of almost all HR and leadership issues.” Topics include, for example, strengthening resilience in times of crisis, dealing with one’s own fears and maintaining team spirit in uncertain future prospects. “Our answer to this begins with a change of perspective,” says Oktay-Gür. Uncertainty is a real burden, not a deficit for individual employees. “It’s not about getting tougher, but rather remaining able to act.”
The first step for HR should be to address the concerns of the workforce as an issue. Uncertainty arises not only from global crises, but also from internal company factors such as restructuring and job concerns. “What we observe in practice: Managers are unsure about what they are allowed to say and, when in doubt, prefer to say less. But that is exactly what increases uncertainty.” According to Oktay-Gür, transparency does not mean that you have to have an answer to everything.
HR can open communication
The expert sees HR as a translator between corporate decisions and human needs. “An open ear, honest communication and visible responsiveness are crucial stability factors.” Strategic decisions often cannot be influenced by HR, “but how people are supported through these phases can be influenced.”
She advises creating spaces for informal exchange and organizing meetings in such a way that uncertainties can also be expressed. After all, it is never clear how many worries individual employees have at the same time, both professionally and privately. This makes a culture of care, willingness to talk and realistic expectations all the more important. “This is the central anchor of stability in volatile times.”
Angela Heider-Willms is responsible for reporting on the topics of transformation, change management and leadership. She also deals with the topic of diversity.
