Nations Redirect Energy Flows Via Overland Pipelines Amid Strait Disruptions
The Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb remain hotspots for disruptions in global energy trade, prompting nations to seek alternative routes via overland pipelines.
The US-Iran standoff has severely impacted maritime traffic, with the Strait of Hormuz being closed since February. This has led to a worldwide energy crunch, as oil shipments through the strait have dropped from 20.7 million barrels per day in the last quarter of 2025 to 14.6 million bpd in the first quarter of this year.
The Bab Al Mandeb strait, which carries around 12 percent of global trade and a quarter of worldwide container traffic, has also seen significant disruptions. Oil flows through the strait averaged 9.3 million bpd in 2023 but declined to about 4.1 million bpd in 2024 and 4.2 million bpd in the first half of 2025.
Nations are turning to overland pipelines as a solution, with Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and the UAE's Habshan-Fujairah pipeline becoming key substitute export routes. Iraq has also unveiled plans for a new pipeline intended to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz.