True. And I'm not being sarcastic when I say 'just like WW2'. The central dynamic of that war concerned the control of Oil.
Britain & France denied Germany access to Oil from the Americas and also denied Germany access to the east (by giving an ultimatum on Poland)
The war kicked off. Poland fell, France fell, Britain didn't- and suddenly Hitler had to take the Caucusus in a few months or lose the war.
He tried his murderous best but he couldn't do it.
The youtube historian ‘TIK’ has an excellent video on the subject.
Also this from 2012: Anand Toprani ‘Oil and Grand Strategy: Great Britain and Germany, 1918—1941’. Avoid the 1st few minutes: it's mostly audio of people chewing.
Lastly: a very accessible video on the same subject from 2018: ‘Oil - Hitler’s Only Chance to Win the War? - WW2 Special’
Hope this proves helpful
Caucusus => Caucasus