Middle East Powers Plot Overland Oil Route Amid Maritime Chokepoint Fears

Global oil markets are facing a crisis as maritime transit chokepoints become increasingly vulnerable to regional conflict. Energy planners in Jerusalem, Washington, and Gulf capitals are quietly reshaping how petroleum moves from the Persian Gulf toward European markets by plotting an alternative overland energy corridor.

The strategy involves unloading crude from tankers arriving at Red Sea ports, then routing that petroleum directly through existing pipeline infrastructure across Israel to Mediterranean shipping terminals. Long-term blueprints include new pipeline networks stretching from the Gulf through Jordan toward Israeli ports, creating a land bridge between the Arabian Peninsula and European buyers.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has touted this overland option as faster and more cost-effective than competing routes, with superior security guarantees due to regional defense systems protecting pipeline infrastructure. However, rival regional powers such as Turkey, Iraq, and Qatar are advancing alternative pathways, including northern and southern infrastructure proposals.