Trump’s war in Iran exposes US’s shift from a global guardian to an arbiter of chaos
The US is recklessly spreading economic havoc among global friends and foes while suffering little harm itselfTo shield ordinary Indians from the war in Iran, the government in Delhi redirected supplies of liquefied gas to Indian families, for which it is the main cooking fuel, limiting supplies to...
<p>The US is recklessly spreading economic havoc among global friends and foes while suffering little harm itself</p><p>To shield ordinary Indians from the war in Iran, the government in Delhi <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-10/india-prioritizes-households-as-it-redirects-lpg-from-refiners?embedded-checkout=true">redirected supplies</a> of liquefied gas to Indian families, for which it is the main cooking fuel, limiting supplies to the plastics industry. The Nepalese government <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nepal-ration-cooking-gas-due-panic-over-shortage-2026-03-12/">rationed gas</a> and the Philippines trimmed the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-06/philippines-mulls-shorter-work-week-using-less-air-con-to-save-on-energy-costs">government workweek</a> to four days. Bangladesh <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9/bangladesh-shuts-universities-limits-fuel-sale-as-iran-war-causes-shortage">closed universities</a> and rationed fuel.</p><p>They have been hardest hit by Iran’s <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nikoecon.bsky.social/post/3mhkr3mdz2k2o">closure of the strait of Hormuz</a>. Economies in Asia <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.IMP.CONS.ZS?locations=Z4-8S">import over a third</a> of the energy they consume, on average. Korea imports four-fifths; Japan nine-tenths; Thailand 55%. Most of this comes from the Gulf. About 80% of oil and oil products transiting through the strait in 2025 was destined for Asia, according to the International Energy Agency. But traffic through its waters has <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/middle-east-maritime-chokepoints-shipping-monitor">collapsed by 90%</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/25/trump-war-in-iran-us-shift-global-chaos">Continue reading...</a>
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