Impacts of Iran war on Southeast AsiaVehicles pass near a billboard with an image of Iranian missiles in Tehran on Monday, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. As Southeast Asia is trade- and export-dependent, the war will have severe repercussions for the region as oil prices rise and international commerce is disrupted. There are many hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian workers in the Middle East who will be adversely impacted by the war. Apart from the economic costs of lost income, Southeast Asian economies will see lower growth due to higher oil prices and dwindling tourist numbers due to travel risks. But the Vietnamese economy has enough momentum and diversification to weather the current Middle East storm, as do most other countries.

Source: Bangkok Post March 19, 2026 23:04 UTC