New Delhi, April 3 -- Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply.

Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping.

To shore up global crude oil supplies, the U.S. has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil shipments already at sea - first for India, then for the rest of the world.

Demand is rising in Asia while Russia is raking in billions of dollars. But experts say there is a limit to how much Moscow can bo...