The Iran war revived a plan to pipe Gulf oil through Israel

Description

The Iran war revived stalled plans to pipe Gulf oil through Israel.

On September 1, Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said that in two years, the Strait of Hormuz will be “like a worthless piece of water.” He meant the oil would move over land instead, through pipelines.

A pipeline from Saudi Arabia to Eilat, Israel’s Red Sea port, has been discussed since at least 2020. In 2025, Israel’s energy minister, Eli Cohen, pitched the 700-kilometer link to the United States. IMEC, a trade corridor from India through Arabia and Israel to Europe, was announced in 2023. In three years, its ministers have never held a meeting.

Three weeks into the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Just have oil pipelines, gas pipelines, going west through the Arabian Peninsula, right up to Israel.”

In June, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “other routes will be built — for example, a typical one is IMEC.”

In July, Cohen said: “The best route is through the State of Israel.”

In August, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Israel and Gulf states were holding secret talks on an energy route around Hormuz. A senior Israeli official told the paper: “If Israel fails to open the door, the window of opportunity will close.”

Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, called Bessent’s prediction “completely wrong.” And Saudi Arabia already has its own pipeline across the country to the Red Sea, one that doesn’t need Israel.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly agreed to any route through Israel, and it has not publicly recognized Israel. Since May, President Trump has demanded that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel.

The war gave stalled plans for routes through Israel a second life. Publicly, Saudi Arabia, whose land they need, still hasn’t said yes.

Transcript

Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, says that in two years, the Strait of Hormuz will be “like a worthless piece of water.” Iran has choked that channel since its war with the United States and Israel began in February. Before the war, the strait carried about a fifth of the world’s oil. Bessent meant the oil would move through pipelines over land instead. And plans to run those routes through Israel, plans that had stalled for years, suddenly came back to life.

A pipeline from Saudi Arabia to Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat has been proposed since at least 2020. A trade corridor from India through Arabia and Israel to Europe, called IMEC, was announced in 2023. In three years, IMEC has never held a meeting of ministers.

Three weeks into the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Just have oil pipelines, gas pipelines, going west through the Arabian Peninsula, right up to Israel.” In June, the head of the European Commission said “other routes will be built — for example, a typical one is IMEC.” In July, Israel’s energy minister said, “The best route is through the State of Israel.” In August, an Israeli newspaper reported secret talks with Gulf states on an energy route around Hormuz, and a senior Israeli official told the paper, “If Israel fails to open the door, the window of opportunity will close.”

Pipelines can be attacked too, and Qatar’s energy minister called Bessent’s prediction “completely wrong.” Saudi Arabia, whose land the pipelines would cross, hasn’t publicly agreed to any route through Israel. Saudi Arabia has not publicly recognized Israel. Since May, Trump has demanded that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel.

The war gave stalled plans for routes through Israel a second life. Publicly, Saudi Arabia, whose land they need, still hasn’t said yes.

Sources and credits

Yonhap via The Korea Times, Bessent says the Strait of Hormuz would be a “worthless piece of water” as oil pipelines bypass it, Sept. 2, 2026. koreatimes.co.kr
US Central Command, US forces launch Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. centcom.mil
Marine Insight, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declare the Strait of Hormuz closed, March 3, 2026. marineinsight.com
Qatar Tribune, citing UKMTO and Kpler, the US and Iran both claim control of Hormuz, Oct. 18, 2026. qatar-tribune.com
US Energy Information Administration, the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical oil chokepoint, June 16, 2025. eia.gov
The New Arab, Israel to propose a Saudi-Israel oil pipeline, 2020. newarab.com
The White House (archived), “Memorandum of Understanding on the Principles of an India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor,” Sept. 9, 2023. bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov
ANI via Devdiscourse, France’s IMEC envoy on new members and a ministerial meeting, Oct. 6, 2026. devdiscourse.com
Reuters via Dawn, Netanyahu on oil and gas pipelines across the Arabian Peninsula to Israel, March 2026. dawn.com
The Associated Press via Fortune, Europe looks to IMEC and other routes around Hormuz, June 18, 2026. fortune.com
Reuters via EnergyNow, Israel’s energy minister touts an oil pipeline to bypass Hormuz, July 2026. energynow.ca
Israel Hayom, Israel and Gulf states pursue a secret energy corridor to bypass Hormuz, Aug. 5, 2026. israelhayom.com
The Associated Press via Fox59, a drone-hit Saudi pipeline will be out for weeks as Houthi rebels seize more Red Sea islands, Sept. 14, 2026. fox59.com
Bloomberg via gCaptain, Qatar’s energy chief says Bessent is “wrong” about Hormuz, Sept. 20, 2026. gcaptain.com
Eastern Eye, Israel’s oil pipeline pitch to Gulf states to bypass Hormuz, Aug. 10, 2026. easterneye.biz
The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara, President Trump’s Truth Social posts of May 25, 2026. presidency.ucsb.edu
JNS, “Netanyahu: ‘We are winning and Iran is being decimated’,” March 19, 2026. jns.org
Anadolu Agency, “Saudi Arabia rejects Israeli bid to join fight against Houthis: Israeli media,” Oct. 13, 2026. aa.com.tr

Picture credits

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Official White House photo by Abe McNatt (public domain).
Maps: NASA Blue Marble: Next Generation, via NASA GIBS (public domain). Pipeline routes © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Routes marked proposed or simplified are drawn by Letters of Junius.
Oil terminal, Eilat: “PikiWiki Israel 41738 Oil terminal in Eilat” by Dr. Avishai Teicher, PikiWiki Israel, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
2023 corridor memorandum: The White House archives (public domain).
Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 29, 2025: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok (public domain).
Ursula von der Leyen: “AC SO Karlspreisverleihung 2026 14. Mai Krönungssaal Ursula von der Leyen I” by Grunpfnul, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Eli Cohen: “Eli Cohen (ISH 7909)” by Itzhak Harari, Knesset Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Haifa port: “Haifa Port P1040621” by Deror_avi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Saad al-Kaabi: “Saad Sherida al-Kaabi” by the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Oval Office, Nov. 18, 2025: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok (public domain).
President Trump’s May 25, 2026 post: The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara.
The Abraham Accords signing, White House, Sept. 15, 2020: The White House (public domain).