New Delhi, March 12, 2026 – Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi warned on Thursday that the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran could deliver a severe blow to India’s economy and energy security, declaring that “the pain has just started”.
Speaking in the lower house amid growing concerns over LPG shortages and rising fuel prices, Gandhi linked the conflict in West Asia directly to disruptions in India’s oil and gas supplies. He highlighted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – through which about 20 per cent of global oil flows and a substantial portion of India’s imports transit – as a critical threat.
“The central artery from where 20 pc of global oil flows, Strait of Hormuz, has been closed and this is going to have tremendous repercussions, particularly for us because a very large portion of our oil and natural gas comes through the Strait of Hormuz,” Gandhi said.
He went on to paint a grim picture of immediate domestic fallout: “The pain has just started – restaurants are closing, there is widespread panic about LPG, street vendors are affected and as I said, this is only the beginning.”
Gandhi stressed that energy security is the “foundation of every single nation” and sharply criticised what he described as India’s surrender of strategic autonomy to the United States. He questioned why a country of India’s size should let Washington decide its oil and gas suppliers, including purchases from Russia.
“Allowing the United States to decide who we buy oil from, who we buy gas from, and whether we can buy oil from Russia or not… Why a nation the size of India would allow any other nation, the President of another nation to give us permission to buy Russian oil, to decide who our relationships are with,” he said, referring to a reported 30-day US waiver on Russian oil purchases.
The remarks come as Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters have virtually halted tanker traffic, sending Brent crude surging past $100 per barrel. Iran has warned that oil could reach $200 a barrel if the conflict intensifies. Several ships, including one carrying Indian crew, have been hit, and the International Energy Agency has begun releasing emergency stocks.
The government has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held multiple conversations with his Iranian counterpart on shipping safety and India’s energy security. The Ministry of External Affairs is also assisting around 9,000 Indian nationals in Iran, facilitating their evacuation via land routes to neighbouring countries.
Opposition MPs, including Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament over the LPG crisis, with some wearing traditional Konyak Naga ornaments to highlight local impacts.
Gandhi’s intervention reflects growing anxiety across India, where households and small businesses are already feeling the pinch of supply disruptions and price volatility triggered by the 13-day-old US-Iran conflict. Analysts warn that prolonged closure of the Hormuz route could trigger broader inflation and slow economic growth.
As the war shows no immediate signs of de-escalation – with fresh Israeli strikes reported on Iranian sites and retaliatory rocket fire continuing – Gandhi’s warning has underscored the urgent need for India to safeguard its energy interests independently.
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