Saudi authorities said dozens of people were injured after Iran-aligned Houthi attacks targeted several cities, including areas linked to energy infrastructure. The escalation comes while crude prices are elevated and shipping through the wider Gulf remains a central concern for importing economies.
For India, the vulnerability is structural. West Asia supplies a large share of crude, LNG and LPG, and threats to production facilities or shipping routes can feed into import costs, inflation, the rupee and subsidy burdens. Strategic reserves and supplier diversification reduce risk but cannot eliminate exposure to a prolonged regional disruption.