The US war on Iran and the subsequent closure of the Hormuz Strait is sending oil, LNG and fertiliser prices into an uncontrollable spike that is likely to last at least as long as hostilities continue. A country's energy mix and main source of energy imports affect its vulnerability to the Gulf crisis and shows the value of a rapid energy transition in a real-world shock scenario. Depending on the country, renewable electricity shields up to 30% of total energy exposure. Every 10% of renewable electricity generation share translates to 0.25% lower shock impacts (measured as percentage of GDP) and can amount to the difference between a mild slowdown and a serious recession. In addition, this analysis underlines the case for all lesser-developed economies to abandon planned fossil-based infrastructure and instead leapfrog to the cheaper solar/wind plus battery option.