Energy Minister Eli Cohen said in an interview on Reshet Bet that Iran will lose its ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic threat within five years, as Israel and Gulf states advance the IMEC land corridor to bypass the waterway.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen said in an interview on Reshet Bet that Iran's ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic threat will become irrelevant within five years, as Israel and Gulf states advance the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe) land corridor to bypass the waterway.
The statement is the latest in a series of public remarks by Cohen on alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. As The Zioneer reported on July 28, Cohen outlined a vision for a Saudi-Israel oil pipeline that would carry Gulf oil to the Mediterranean, bypassing the strait within 4-5 years. On July 19, he stated that meetings with Gulf states had taken place to advance an alternative route.
The IMEC corridor, which would link India, the Gulf, Israel, and Europe, has been a focus of Israeli diplomatic and economic strategy. The project aims to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world's oil trade passes. Iran has periodically threatened to close the strait, and the IRGC has previously declared it closed to Israel-linked vessels.
Cohen's remarks come amid ongoing regional competition over trade routes, with reports of Saudi Arabia exploring an alternative route via Syria that would exclude Israel.
2 developments
- StrongEli Cohen: Israel held meetings with Gulf states on alternative Hormuz route
- DevelopingIran loses bargaining power as Gulf states bypass it via Oman, analyst says
- DevelopingIranian Deputy FM: Any European warship approaching Hormuz to clear mines is a legitimate target
- StrongCol. (ret.) Darren Cave: Iran understands only the language of force, Hormuz leverage eroding
Source and signal
- Open-source intake