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2026-07-17 18:00:12

[Alternative Pipelines Fails to Solve the Immediate Crisis; Iran Declares "No One Can Export"] ⑴ As the confrontation between the US and Iran escalates again in the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf oil-producing countries are accelerating their search for alternative export routes. However, the existing bypass pipelines have a maximum capacity of only a few million barrels per day, far from enough to fill the gap in normal strait traffic. ⑵ Iran has clearly included alternative energy infrastructure in the Gulf region within its deterrent scope. The Saudi East-West Pipeline and the UAE Abu Dhabi oil pipeline both face potential threats. Analysts warn that Tehran's intention is clear: either all oil-producing countries can export, or none of them can. ⑶ The resumption of traffic brought about by the brief ceasefire in June has been completely reversed. Current strait traffic has plummeted. The US has reinstated its blockade of Iranian ports and revoked sanctions waivers, while Iran is demonstrating its actual control over the chokepoint through attacks on warships, drone strikes, and the laying of mines. (4) New pipeline projects are time-consuming and costly. Even after commissioning, they may face new risks in the Babalmandab Strait in the Red Sea, where the Houthi rebels in Yemen have the capability to launch attacks. Detouring around the Cape of Good Hope will significantly increase shipping costs and time. (5) The UAE is actively expanding its ports and container terminals using existing alternative pipeline capacity on its east coast, and Saudi Arabia also has some redundancy in its detouring routes. However, other oil-producing countries that rely on the strait, such as Iraq and Kuwait, have almost no backup plans, leading to a structural reshaping of the regional energy export landscape. (6) Iran is creating transportation bottlenecks to increase the economic cost of US military strikes, while Gulf oil-producing countries are caught in a dilemma between pipeline expansion and shipping route security. In the short term, the struggle for passage through the strait will continue to dominate oil price trends, and neither side can gain an absolute advantage at an unequal cost.

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