Geopolitical tensions ignited by the Iran conflict have sent global oil prices surging in recent months, and one small South American nation is positioned to reap disproportionate benefits — while facing uniquely modern challenges tied to its sudden oil wealth. Guyana, a neighboring country to Venezuela with just under 1 million residents, was already the world’s fastest-growing economy before the outbreak of heightened conflict in the Middle East pushed crude prices sharply upward. Today, shifting global energy markets are set to deliver a windfall to the nation, but this unexpected fortune also brings new risks that threaten its long-term stability.