Iran War Accelerates Gulf Pipeline and Port Boom to Bypass Hormuz
The Hormuz disruption from the Iran war is fueling a regional push to create alternative oil routes and port infrastructure. Saudi Arabia is expanding its East-West pipeline to move crude to the Red Sea and then the Suez Canal, while ADNOC’s West-East 1 pipeline would double UAE exports via Fujairah. Iraq, Syria, and Turkey are pursuing pipelines to Mediterranean routes, with Japan and other financiers showing interest; projects are costly (at least $15 billion) and take years. Amid these shifts, Gulf states are prioritizing ports as critical energy hubs, and global energy import bills surged by roughly $330 billion in six months as tanker routes diversify and bypass Hormuz.}