A global energy shock stemming from the Iran war is driving nations across Asia and Africa to rapidly expand nuclear power generation, as disruptions to shipping routes have curtailed the flow of West Asian oil and natural gas. Countries that already operate nuclear plants are ramping up output to meet immediate energy shortfalls, while non-nuclear nations on both continents are fast-tracking long-term atomic energy programmes to reduce future dependence on fossil fuels. Asia has been hit first and hardest given its reliance on West Asian energy exports, though the ripple effects are also being felt in Africa, the United States, and Europe as the conflict pushes energy costs higher.