Speaking to India Today, Harvard professor Gita Gopinath dropped a massive warning on the escalating West Asia conflict and the critical Strait of Hormuz blockade. Gopinath revealed that global supply strains are rapidly worsening, threatening a catastrophic surge from $110 to $140 per barrel by June. She warned that India's heavy Middle East fuel reliance makes severe domestic fuel hikes and creeping inflation inevitable. Stating the government cannot absorb this alone, Gopinath declared that the economic pain must be shared through a higher fiscal deficit and direct price pass-throughs to households.