Wednesday 11 / March / 2026
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has begun to affect people far beyond the region, with rising crude oil prices and disruptions to global supply routes creating shortages of petroleum products in several South Asian countries.
The situation has been aggravated by disruptions in the movement of crude oil through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital energy corridors. Any slowdown in shipments through the strait has a direct impact on oil-importing countries, particularly in South Asia.
In recent days, long queues have been reported at petrol stations in Dhaka as motorists rushed to fill their tanks amid fears of a possible fuel shortage. Similar scenes have also been reported in several cities across India, where drivers and motorcycle riders are lining up at fuel stations to secure petrol before supplies tighten.
One motorcyclist waiting at a petrol pump said he was filling his tank as a precaution.
“I want to fill my petrol tank because you never know when this station dries up. As the movement of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped, there is bound to be a shortage,” he said.
He added that filling the tank to capacity would help him manage transportation needs for a few days even if fuel supplies become scarce.
Apart from petrol and diesel, the crisis is also affecting the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking. The Indian government has already extended the LPG booking period from 21 days to 25 days in an effort to manage supply pressure during the crisis.
Hotel and restaurant associations in several Indian cities have also reported shortages of commercial LPG cylinders, just days after the prices of both commercial and domestic gas cylinders were increased nationwide.
Hotel associations in Bengaluru and Chennai have flagged disruptions in LPG supply and warned that restaurants may be forced to halt operations if deliveries are not restored soon.
The disruption is not limited to southern India. Restaurants in Gurugram and Mumbai have also reported shortages of commercial LPG cylinders, with some establishments considering alternative arrangements to keep their kitchens running.
“Our vendor informed us that commercial LPG deliveries have been paused temporarily. We have backup cylinders that can last about three days. If the situation continues, we may have to shift to residential cylinders or reduce menu items,” said a hotelier.
In the eastern Indian city of Patna, the shortage has already begun affecting small food outlets. When a customer recently visited a restaurant to order food, the owner had to refuse service due to the lack of cooking gas.
“My owner has been trying for the last two days but he couldn’t arrange a cylinder for this outlet. The story is the same for many food joints in the city. They have not opened their shops today because of the LPG crisis,” a staff member said.
He warned that the situation could deteriorate further if the conflict continues.
“If the war doesn’t end soon, the situation is going to become worse,” he added.
