Netanyahu Proposes Rerouting Energy Pipelines Amidst Strait of Hormuz Tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed on Monday that resolving the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz requires a significant change in how oil and gas are transported. He suggested rerouting pipelines westward through Saudi Arabia, aiming for the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea, thus avoiding what he described as Iran’s “geographic choke points.” This proposal comes as Iran plans to impose fees on vessels navigating this critical route and restrict traffic.

In an interview, Netanyahu shared a two-pronged strategy. The immediate focus, he stated, should be on U.S.-led efforts to reopen the strait, while longer-term solutions would seek to remove reliance on narrow maritime passages that could enable Iran to interrupt global energy supplies.

“Long-term strategies involve rerouting energy pipelines westward, traversing Saudi Arabia to link with the Red Sea and Mediterranean, sidestepping Iran’s geographical issues,” he told the media.

The Prime Minister’s comments were a response to increasing challenges in international shipping routes. He highlighted that addressing not just military threats but geographical factors is essential.

“We have options to go around the Strait of Hormuz,” Netanyahu pointed out, emphasizing plans to redirect energy pipelines from the Gulf, recognizing the strait as a critical area for Iranian control.

This discussion coincided with reports from the Iranian Parliament’s Security Committee, which approved a new policy for tolls on ships using the Strait of Hormuz. This effectively forces international shipping to pay charges while banning U.S. and Israeli vessels, alongside ships from nations under sanctions, from utilizing the strait, according to Iranian state media.

Iran’s approach is characterized by measures aimed at asserting authority over this strategic shipping lane, including collaboration with Oman and new rules to govern maritime activity. This represents a notable escalation in Tehran’s efforts to maintain control over a key energy passage.

Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is critical, handling about 20% of the world’s oil supply. Yet, since rising tensions, traffic has plummeted by as much as 95%. Shipping activity has sharply decreased due to security risks and curtailments prompted by Iranian actions, as suggested by maritime intelligence.

The situation intensified after President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. is ready to take strong action should the strait remain closed. He expressed, via social media, that while “significant progress” has been made in negotiations, a failure to ensure the area is “open for business” might compel the U.S. to take drastic measures, including targeting Iran’s power grid, which plays a pivotal role in its oil export framework.

Trump’s warning showcased the administration’s resolve to ensure free navigation, even as it weighs broader military and diplomatic solutions to the crisis.

However, a report suggested that Trump may consider reducing military activities before fully opening the Strait, fearing that escalation could delay conflict resolution and necessitate increased military engagement.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has activated a long-standing emergency route, which has recently increased crude oil transportation through the East-West pipeline to its maximum capacity, shifting oil supplies to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Shipments from Yanbu have surged, offering a partial but vital mitigation against the 15 million barrels a day typically reliant on the strait.

Yet, this alternative solution faces rising risks as Iran’s pressure extends beyond the Gulf. Tehran is reportedly urging allied Houthi forces in Yemen to prepare for potential attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which could disrupt traffic and threaten alternate export routes.

Recently, the Houthis have also engaged in the conflict, targeting Israel with missile strikes, raising alarms about the impact on commercial shipping and stability in global energy markets.

Several Gulf nations have quietly requested the U.S. to enhance military pressure on Iran, asserting that Tehran has not been sufficiently weakened and cautioning against prematurely halting operations, which could expose the region to long-term dangers.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain have indicated in confidential discussions that they desire continued operations until Iran’s nuclear ambitions, missile capabilities, and threats to the Strait are decisively neutralized. This sentiment reinforces Netanyahu’s assertion that the crisis highlights broader vulnerabilities connected to the waterway.

Netanyahu reiterated that while immediate military solutions might address the current concerns in the strait, the long-term objective must involve removing the strategic advantages conferred by such geographic chokepoints.

“I think a military solution led by the U.S. is possible,” Netanyahu remarked. “But there’s also an interesting notion of bypassing energy pipelines to avoid geographic challenges,” he noted, indicating a strategic shift away from relying on risky maritime routes.

This is not the first time Netanyahu has proposed similar ideas. Earlier this month, he argued for a land-based corridor that would link Gulf oil producers to Mediterranean ports, essentially bypassing both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, thereby eliminating Iran’s influence over maritime chokepoints.

This initiative aligns with ongoing regional discussions aimed at establishing a continuous overland energy route from the Gulf to Europe, potentially integrating existing infrastructure like Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline and Israel’s Eilat-Ashkelon Corridor.