US Secretary of State Mark Rubio calls for permanent bypass of Strait of Hormuz

US Secretary of State Mark Rubio has urged a long‑term reduction of the world’s reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for oil and natural‑gas transport. He argues that the growing threat from Iran makes it necessary to gradually shift energy flows to alternative routes.

The strait currently carries about 20 million barrels of oil per day – roughly 20 % of global oil trade – and a similar share of the world’s liquefied natural‑gas (LNG) shipments, mainly from Qatar. Existing pipelines that skirt the strait, such as Saudi Arabia’s East‑West Petroline (about 7 million barrels per day) and the United Arab Emirates’ pipeline (about 1.8 million barrels per day), together total roughly 9 million barrels per day, far below current volumes.

Analysts warn that diverting traffic to the Red Sea would merely move the strategic risk to the Bab al‑Mandeb corridor, where Houthi attacks have increased. Building new pipelines would cost billions, take years, and remain vulnerable to drone and missile strikes. The LNG export system is also tightly linked to Hormuz, making a full bypass impractical in the near term.