Companies shutting down have triggered winding-up procedures during the Iran conflict, say sector experts, as firms operating in Oxfordshire experience monetary struggles.

The tally of companies collapsing went up again in March, fueled by a rise in businesses going into administration, with analysts anticipating further collapses as the Iran conflict and rising employment costs drive expenses higher.

Over the past month, Kidlington-based Cooper & Franklin Limited went into liquidation, together with William Harvey Medical Limited from Weston-on-the-Green, Oxford’s Netvide Limited, and Park Lane Developments (Oxfordshire) Limited located in Bampton.

Fresh figures from the Insolvency Service show UK corporate insolvencies rose seven percent from February, hitting 2,022 cases in March.

Corporate administrations shot up 52 percent from February to March, reaching 235, and represented an 82 percent rise compared to March 2025, while compulsory liquidations climbed 18 percent.

Voluntary company arrangements doubled over the period to total 20, the figures showed.

Oil and energy costs have been rising because of the Iran conflict, which has already hit certain sectors hard, including manufacturing.

Yet experts pointed out the wider picture creates worries for businesses as cost pressures mount.

Tom Russell, head of the restructuring professionals trade body R3, said that although the full effects of the worsening economic conditions may not yet be visible in formal insolvency data, energy and fuel costs have risen significantly, and for many businesses this has coincided with customers becoming more cautious with their spending. That situation is extremely tough, especially for firms with thin financial buffers.