TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The threat of Iran exerting unlimited control over the Strait of Hormuz has prompted Gulf countries to reconsider their pipeline development strategies to safeguard oil and gas exports, according to the Financial Times, as cited by Al Arabiya on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Officials and industry executives noted that despite the high costs and political complexity, building new pipelines may be the only way to ensure a stable energy supply without relying on a route vulnerable to Iranian control.
The ongoing conflict has highlighted the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia’s 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline, the report said. Constructed in the 1980s, the pipeline has become a critical route, transporting 7 million barrels of oil per day to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, effectively bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia is now exploring ways to export oil beyond its daily production of 10.2 million barrels, including expanding the East-West pipeline’s capacity or constructing an entirely new route, according to the report.
One option under consideration is reviving the U.S.-led India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEE), a bold plan to connect India to Europe via the Gulf, which could provide an alternative export pathway and reduce dependency on the Strait of Hormuz.
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