Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries are competing to find\nalternative routes to ship their oil and gas. This effort comes after\nthe main route through the Strait of Hormuz has been practically closed\nto commercial traffic for nearly the last two months.<\/p>\n
The closure of this strategic route has triggered a global energy\nsupply crisis. To date, there is no clarity on when the conflict between\nthe United States (US) and Iran will end.<\/p>\n
Both parties are also using the Strait of Hormuz\u2014a vital route\npreviously carrying around 20 percent of the world\u2019s oil supply\u2014as a\nbargaining tool in stalled peace negotiations.<\/p>\n
Quoted from CNBC on Friday (24\/4\/2026), the Executive Director of the\nInternational Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, said this situation\nshould have been anticipated long ago. He assessed that dependence on a\nsingle narrow route is highly risky for the global economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe $110 trillion global economy can be held hostage by a few\nhundred armed individuals in a 50-kilometre strait. This is\nunreasonable. We need alternative routes,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The risks in the Strait of Hormuz have actually been understood for a\nlong time. However, according to Maisoon Kafafy, a senior advisor at the\nAtlantic Council for the Middle East programme, the closure in February\n2026 proves that old assumptions can collapse.<\/p>\n
Additionally, factors such as economic interdependence and conflict\nprevention systems made a total closure seem unlikely.<\/p>\n
The current war has changed those calculations. Gulf countries, which\nhave long relied on the Strait of Hormuz, are now seriously seeking new\nexport routes to reduce dependence.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Oxford Economics economist Lucila Bonilla said the\nconflict is accelerating efforts to divert export routes. This situation\nalso has the potential to weaken Iran\u2019s strategic position in the long\nterm.<\/p>\n
At the start of the conflict, Iran\u2019s strategy of closing access to\nthe Strait of Hormuz initially provided advantages.<\/p>\n
By controlling that route, Iran became the only country able to\nexport hydrocarbons for several weeks, amid a surge in oil prices\napproaching $120 per barrel.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Gulf countries still face obstacles because they cannot\nexport oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the strait.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/oil-exporters-scramble-for-alternative-routes-beyond-the-strait-of-hormuz-but-options-are-limited-1777013727", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }