Macron and Saudi Crown Prince to Discuss Bypassing Strait of Hormuz via Oil Pipelines
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will discuss expanding existing oil pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz during their meeting in Paris on Monday. This is a major focus area for their talks, with around 20% of global crude oil being shipped through the narrow waterway before Iran's effective closure due to the US and Israel-launched war against the country in February.
The discussion revolves around alternative routes to the Strait, including existing projects involving pipelines, such as new construction, capacity upgrades, or twinning, in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. An adviser to Macron mentioned that 'this is an important topic' and there are options for bypassing the usual routes via alternative port networks.
The meeting between Macron and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman comes after a short-lived diplomatic victory by Macron when US President Donald Trump signed an interim agreement with Iran aimed at ending the war. However, Trump later declared the agreement 'over' following Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.