With the Iran conflict entering its 20th day and both sides not showing any signs of backing down, South Asian and Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations are in the firing line – metaphorically, if not physically – though the Iris Dena incident was uncomfortably close. The oil crunch resulting from the de-facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is a severe blow to South Asian and IOR economies, which were already struggling due to a variety of reasons.