Oil-Thirsty Asian Nations Seek Russian Crude

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the U.S. and Israeli war in 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. 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. Experts say there’s a limit to how much Moscow can boost its exports of crude oil, and it is already exporting at a level close to its previous peak.