The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's kitchens.
As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, supplies of cooking gas are dwindling across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.
Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens.
"The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply is unavailable," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India.
Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep food preparation going."
In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their gas stocks have depleted with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers note a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are running out of them.
Yet, the government states there is sufficient stock.
India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities affect energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now significantly disrupted by the conflict.
The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by false reports. The regular refill period for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson.
Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the caption reads.
According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature.
India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations.
Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.
Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.
The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say.
India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint.
Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.
In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through diversification. Fuel availability remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the key factor to monitor in the coming weeks."
What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the common threat of stockpiling.
An industry representative states exploitative practices.
"Distributors are exploiting the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold at a premium."
For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by global trade flows. But in restaurants across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
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