The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's households.
As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely.
Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments.
"The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the a major restaurant body.
Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are adopting solid fuels and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."
In a western metro, accounts say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their gas stocks have dwindled with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies ebb and flow. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape."
Retailers report a surge in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Yet, the authorities insists there is sufficient stock.
India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as geopolitical strain from the regional hostilities affect energy markets.
About 60% of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now largely blocked by the hostilities.
The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".
"Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a government spokesperson.
Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the caption reads.
According to reports from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be premature.
India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.
Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator.
Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day.
"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.
The primary concern is cooking gas, analysts say.
India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint.
Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the critical issue to monitor in the coming weeks."
What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of panic buying.
An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering.
"Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and auctioned off."
For now, India's petroleum stocks may be cushioned by global trade flows. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
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