NEW DELHI, March 10. /TASS/. Indian restaurateurs and hoteliers are facing a critical shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the conflict in the Middle East, The Hindustan Times newspaper wrote.

Several hotel associations across India have reported a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, just days after the prices of both commercial and domestic gas cylinders were increased nationwide, according to the publication. Hotel associations in Bengaluru and Chennai flagged disruptions, warning that restaurants in respective cities may be forced to halt operations unless the LPG supply was restored.

The Chennai Hotels Association has issued a statement addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking to intervene in the matter. "Commercial LPG distributors have completely stopped supplying cylinders, stating that they have no stock available. As a result, many restaurants are forced to shut down," according to the statement released on the X social network.

This comes amid rising oil prices worldwide due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The situation has triggered concerns of a further spike in energy prices, given the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.