Kuala Lumpur, April 15 -- Mounting geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are increasingly feeding into Vietnam's day-to-day socio-economic landscape, posing a pressing challenge for policymakers striving to sustain growth amid soaring fuel costs, according to a Malaysian researcher.

In an interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Dr. Zokhris Idris, senior researcher in international relations at Universiti Malaya, said escalating instability and unprecedented energy security pressures are forcing countries worldwide to overhaul their energy supply structures.

In Vietnam, about 40% of fuel demand is estimated to be directly affected, prompting businesses and authorities to recalibrate import strategies. Highe...