Within hours of its entry into World War I, the British government had taken control of the nation’s railways. Within days, it had introduced a national maritime insurance scheme to underwrite losses arising from the loss of ships and cargo. The reason for quick action, in both cases, was to secure the national food supply — Britain was dependent on shipping to import the food the nation needed, and on its railways to distribute it to the cities.
Today’s fuel crisis due to the US-Israel war in Iran bears a striking similarity to the one the British government faced in 1914.