The war in Gaza and stalled normalization momentum have led Riyadh to reconsider the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor, with Syria emerging as a potential alternative route that would exclude Israel, according to reports.
Friday evening, a new report indicated that Saudi Arabia is reassessing the route of the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) trade corridor, with Riyadh citing the war in Gaza and stalled normalization momentum as the reasons for the reconsideration. The report adds an explicit rationale to the earlier reports that had described the plan but not attributed it directly to Riyadh's stated reasons.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday, July 8, at 20:43 Jerusalem, i24NEWS reported that Saudi Arabia was advancing a plan to reroute the 'Peace Railway' corridor through Syria, excluding Israel, citing two sources. That report, published in three versions, noted that the plan was driven by normalization difficulties and security developments in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. Earlier, on July 5, Kan 11's Roi Kais reported that Turkey and Syria were seeking to replace Israel in the IMEC project. Prior to that, on June 13 and June 15, The Zioneer reported on a rival Turkey-Syria corridor and a race between Turkey and Israel over the IMEC route, respectively.
The IMEC corridor, which would connect India to Europe via the Middle East, was originally conceived as a strategic alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. The Zioneer reported on June 15 that Channel 12 analyst Ohad Hemo described a high-stakes global struggle between Turkey and Israel over the trade route. A July 1 report by The Zioneer also noted that the US was considering withdrawing troops from Saudi Arabia amid tensions over the Iran war, which may be part of the broader geopolitical context.
No official confirmation from Saudi Arabia has been reported. The sources for the new report were not specified, and the earlier i24NEWS report relied on two anonymous sources. It remains unclear whether Syria has agreed to the rerouting.
4 developments
- DevelopingTurkey, Syria seeking to replace Israel in IMEC trade corridor, report says
- DevelopingN12 analyst: Turkey, Israel in all-out race over rival IMEC trade corridors
- DevelopingIsraeli CEO of Ecopeace Middle East says IMEC trade corridor can sideline Iran, stabilize region
- DevelopingGideon Bromberg: India wants IMEC trade corridor to pass through Israel
Source and signal
- Internal intake