Why Gulf Oil Is Searching for a Route Around Hormuz and the Red Sea
Israel is pushing a new energy-security idea that could reshape how Gulf oil reaches Europe.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Reuters that Gulf countries could reduce their dependence on the Strait of Hormuz by building a pipeline route through Israel. The proposal would connect Saudi Arabia to Israel’s Red Sea city of Eilat, then use Israel’s existing pipeline to Ashkelon on the Mediterranean coast, allowing oil to move onward to Europe without passing through Hormuz or the Red Sea shipping lanes exposed to Houthi disruption.
The idea is not only about oil. It is about strategic geography.
Hormuz has become one of the world’s most dangerous energy chokepoints. Reuters reported that oil prices surged after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year and after Tehran effectively closed the strait, before prices eased after a U.S.-Iran ceasefire. But the fear remains: if tensions return, Hormuz can again become a pressure point on global energy markets.
Cohen’s argument is simple. Gulf oil exporters do not want their main source of income exposed to Iran in Hormuz or to Houthi threats in the Red Sea. He told Reuters that a land route through Israel would bypass both Iran and the Houthis.
That is why the proposal matters.
For decades, Gulf energy security depended on sea lanes protected by American power. But recent crises have shown that maritime routes can be disrupted by missiles, drones, mines, militias, and state pressure. The result is a new search for land corridors, pipelines, railways, ports, and alternative routes.
Saudi Arabia is also studying ways to reduce dependence on Hormuz. Reuters reported that Riyadh is considering expanding the capacity of its crude oil pipeline to the western Red Sea coast, allowing Saudi Arabia and possibly neighboring states to move more oil without crossing the strait.
Israel’s proposal fits into this wider shift. If Gulf oil can move overland to Eilat and then through Israel to the Mediterranean, Israel would become more than a military and technology partner. It would become an energy corridor between the Gulf and Europe.
But the obstacles are serious.
A Saudi-Israel pipeline would require political normalization, regional security guarantees, investment, technical planning, and protection against sabotage. It would also face opposition from Iran and from actors who see Israeli integration into Gulf energy infrastructure as a strategic defeat.
The economics are also uncertain. Pipelines are expensive, politically sensitive, and vulnerable to regional tension. Shipping remains flexible and globally established. A land corridor would need to prove that it can offer reliability, security, and commercial advantage.
Still, the direction is clear. The Middle East is moving from energy shipment to energy architecture. Countries are no longer thinking only about how much oil they produce. They are thinking about how oil moves, who protects it, who can disrupt it, and who controls the route.
For the Red Sea region, this is a major signal. If Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf states search for routes that bypass Hormuz and reduce exposure to Red Sea disruption, the entire map of energy security will change. Ports, pipelines, military bases, intelligence sites, and stable coastal partners will become more important.
The lesson is broader than Israel. Every state near a chokepoint must now understand that geography is becoming infrastructure power. The countries that can offer secure routes will gain influence. The countries that depend only on exposed waterways will face higher risk.
Israel’s pipeline proposal may not happen quickly. It may face political resistance. It may remain only a strategic concept. But its importance is already visible.
It shows that the future of energy security will not be decided only at sea. It will also be decided on land.
Strategic Assessment: Israel’s pipeline proposal reflects a wider shift in global energy security. Hormuz and the Red Sea are no longer seen only as trade routes; they are strategic vulnerabilities. If Gulf oil exporters begin building land corridors to reduce dependence on exposed waterways, the political importance of pipelines, ports, and secure territory will rise sharply. The proposal is difficult, but the logic is powerful: in a region shaped by Iran, Houthis, and maritime disruption, energy security is becoming a contest over routes.
By WARYATV Intelligence Desk | waryatv@waryatv.com
