On February 28, Israel and the United States attacked Iran, starting a conflict that has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and the rest of the world. In a series of columns, our correspondents tell how the war has been received in countries around the world. Tilde Brandelius is FUF's correspondent in Vietnam in the spring of 2026.
When I ask people on the street how they feel about developments in the Middle East, it is the rising oil prices that raise concerns.
- The conflict won't become a major topic of conversation unless fuel prices rise again. The people who live here are only focused on fuel prices, he says. a person I talk to in early March.
The Vietnamese government was quick to condemn the attacks on Iran. The message from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang was reportedly clear: sovereignty and territorial integrity should not be violated by outside nations or actors, according to reports in the pro-government newspaper. Nhan DanFurthermore, all parties involved were called upon to cease fire, with the aim of protecting civilians and regional and global peace.
In the days that followed, state media almost exclusively reported on one factor of the conflict, namely the global and, above all, local economic consequences for the energy sector. Nhan Dan writes that the government has ordered an investigation on how the conflict affects international trade and how domestic energy supplies should be protected so as not to affect Vietnam's growth goals (In 2026, they had hoped to reach double-digit growth figures.).
But it is still specifically the fossil energy market that takes up the most space in the media. In Vietnam News It is reported how an escalation of the conflict poses a risk of rising inflation and increased gasoline costs.
Concerns are being expressed about the particular vulnerability of Asia's fuel markets. 80 percent of the continent's crude oil is transported through the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions could therefore hit Vietnam and neighboring countries hard, writes Nhan Dan.
In early March, a worried truck driver tells Vietnam Net that a 30 percent fuel price increase would erode the profit margin for the transport industry. By then, the price of diesel had already increased by over 20 percent.
But the media also describes how the consequences extend beyond increased costs for passenger and transport vehicles. Rising oil prices are predicted to affect several economically valuable sectors such as agriculture, industry and services.
It is clear that in Vietnam, the state, the media, and the people are struggling with a common problem – how to ensure growth in a troubled world?
This is a chronicle. The author is responsible for analysis and opinions in the text.
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