Israel and Gulf Arab states discuss energy corridor to bypass Hormuz

Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel and several Gulf Arab states have been holding secret talks to create a land‑based energy corridor that would allow oil and gas exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el‑Mandeb. Immediate proposals would use Saudi Arabia’s western port of Yanbu to ship crude to Israel’s port of Eilat, then transport it through the existing Europe‑Asia pipeline to Ashkelon for loading onto Mediterranean tankers. Longer‑term plans envision new pipelines linking Gulf producers to Jordan’s port of Aqaba and onward to Eilat, integrating with Israel’s network.

The United States is also participating, seeking to diminish Iran’s leverage over regional shipping routes. Cohen argued that an Israeli‑based route would be more secure than alternatives through Syria and could lower global energy prices by adding competition to existing pipelines from Azerbaijan and Iraq to Turkey. No formal agreement has been announced yet.