Tharoor Warns West Asia Conflict Threatens India Energy Security

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor warned on Thursday that the escalating conflict in West Asia between the United States, Israel, and Iran threatens India's energy security and economy, urging diversification of supplies and stronger international diplomacy to resolve the crisis. The conflict, now in its third week, has disrupted shipments of oil, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas from the Gulf region, which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of India's requirements.

The hostilities erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel conducted coordinated strikes on multiple sites in Iran, including the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with attacks on military facilities linked to Washington and Jerusalem in Gulf states, leading to attacks on energy installations that have further destabilized global supplies. As a result, crude oil prices have surged from $64 per barrel at the conflict's outset to between $100 and $120, raising fears of widespread inflation in India, particularly for transportation and consumer goods.

Tharoor, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, highlighted the...