![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #74490](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/uss-george-hw-bush-1024x576.jpg "US-backed pipeline proposal targets global reliance on Strait of Hormuz amid Iran threats")
This post was originally published on this site.
US launches Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz amid escalating Iran tensions
Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer announce the US initiative ‘Project Freedom’ to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.President Trump issues a stern warning to Iran against any interference with shipping lanes.Bryan Llenas reports from Tel Aviv on recent drone attacks attributed to Iran by the UAE, and South Korea’s investigation into a vessel attack in the volatile region.
A new U.S.-backed proposal to build a network of overland energy pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is gaining attention as tensions in the region expose a critical vulnerability in the global energy system.
�ARAM Express,” a proposed consortium between the United States and Gulf partners to develop a multidirectional overland network for oil, gas and petrochemicals, originating with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.
TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKS
USS George H.W.Bush transits the Arabian Sea as U.S.forces enforce a naval blockade against Iran and support Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S.Central Command.
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.
“European buyers are desperate for long-term supply resilience, and Asian customers are equally exposed,” Goldberg said.“Even China cannot tolerate the risk of a sustained disruption.”
The push comes as Iran’s threats to commercial shipping and ongoing U.S.efforts to secure the waterway under President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” highlight the risks posed by a single chokepoint to global energy flows.
Roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, making it a critical artery for global markets.With Iran threatening shipping and U.S.forces now guiding vessels through the strait under PresidentDonald Trump’s “Project Freedom,” theWhite Houseis framing the crisis in global terms.
“The President will not allow Iran to hold the global economy hostage and undermine the free flow of energy,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, describing the launch of “Project Freedom” as a humanitarian effort to restore navigation through the strait.
That framing aligns with a growing view among U.S.officials and analysts that the risk is not only immediate but also structural.
U.S.Ambassador to theUnited NationsMike Waltz signaled that Washington’s partners are already looking beyond the strait itself.
“I know ourGulf partners and alliesare seriously thinking through that,�
“I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies,” he added.
MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE
The surge in regional piracy risk is exacerbated by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf and global energy flows are shifting.(Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson/U.S.Navy via Getty Images)
A vulnerability years in the making
The idea that Hormuz represents a structural weakness is not new.But until now, it has largely been tolerated, with global markets relying on stability in the Gulf to keep energy flowing.
That assumption is now under strain.
Even with U.S.naval power deployed to secure the waterway, the current crisis has highlighted how quickly disruption, or even the threat of it, can ripple through global supply chains.
“This isn’t just a long-term idea anymore,” said Rich Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.“There is a real threat to the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t going away so long as theregime in Tehran remains.”
AS IRAN WEAKENS, QUESTIONS GROW OVER MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN’S REGIONAL AMBITIONS
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.(U.S.Central Command)
Saudi Arabia: Building around the risk
Saudi Arabia stands out as the country among Gulf states that has invested most heavily in reducing reliance on Hormuz.
Its East-West pipeline allows crude oil to travel from eastern fields on the Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the strait entirely.From there, shipments can move towardEurope, Africa and Asia without entering the chokepoint.
“Saudi Arabia has treated the Strait of Hormuz risk with planning, not panic,” said Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst.
“The East-West pipeline is strategic insurance,“A Hormuz closure would be disruptive, but not paralyzing.Saudi Arabia has spent years reducing that vulnerability, and today it is uniquely positioned to absorb shocks and keep global flows moving.”
Al-Ansari argued that the kingdom’s strategy goes beyond energy exports, positioning the country as a broader logistics hub.
“Ports, pipelines, land bridges, storage and Red Sea access are all part of one Saudi contingency architecture,” he said.
HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.(Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
UAE and the fragmentation of the Gulf model
Saudi Arabia is not the only player adapting.
TheUnited Arab Emiratesalso has developed alternative export capacity through its pipeline to Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, some analysts argue that recent regional dynamics point to a deeper shift, one that goes beyond infrastructure and into the political structure of the Gulf itself.
Yonatan Adiri, an Israeli entrepreneur and former adviser to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, said the traditional model of a unified Gulf energy system centered on Hormuz is beginning to break down.
“The whole arrangement … it’s starting to expire,” Adiri said, referring to the long-standing reliance on the strait as a central artery for Gulf exports.
He pointed to emerging economic and geopolitical realignments, includingnew corridors and shifting alliances, that are fragmenting the region’s traditional energy architecture.
“The UAE stepping away from OPEC is not just about production policy,” Adiri said, referring to the country’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries effective May 1, 2026.“It reflects a broader shift toward an independent strategy — building its own routes, partnerships and leverage rather than relying on a collective system.”
These changes are driven in part by broader global competition, according to Adiri, particularly efforts by the United States and its partners to counterChina’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“The entire system is being rethought,” he said, describing a shift toward diversified routes that reduce reliance on single choke points.
WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL
Cargo ships are anchored in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026.(Reuters/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
Uneven exposure across the Gulf
Despite these developments, not all Gulf states are equally prepared.
“If you’re Kuwait, you’re in a world of hurt,” Goldberg said, pointing to countries that lack meaningful alternatives to maritime exports.
Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, remains heavily dependent on the strait, with limited options to reroute supply if shipping is disrupted.
This uneven exposure could reshape regional dynamics, giving countries with alternative routes greater resilience and leverage in future crises.
Political limits and long-term questions
While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain.
One of the most sensitive issues is whether future corridors could involve Israel, even indirectly.
“As for routes involving Israel, even indirectly, the politics are extremely difficult under current circumstances,” Al-Ansari said.“I genuinely do not see it happening now.”
At the same time, he suggested that such cooperation could become more realistic in the future under different political conditions.
A system in transition
For now, the U.S.and its allies remain focused on stabilizing the immediate situation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that ships can pass safely and global markets continue to function.
But as tensions persist, the current crisis is forcing a broader reassessment.
onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain.(Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press )
The question is no longer just how to secure the strait, but whether the global energy system can afford to depend on it to the extent it has for decades.
If the current trajectory continues, Hormuz may remain critical, but no longer dominant, experts argue, as countries invest in new routes, new partnerships and a more diversified energy map.
![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #66993](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ronald-johnson-1024x576.jpg "Two US Embassy personnel killed in 'accident' in Mexico, ambassador says")
![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #67143](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/tsunami-japan-1-1024x576.jpg "Massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake hits off Japanese coast")