Rubio's Plan to Bypass Strait of Hormuz Hits Snags Over Logistics and Security

The idea of bypassing the Strait of Hormuz as a major corridor for energy resources has been proposed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who sees it as a long-term strategic vision rather than an immediately executable economic plan. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the narrow 39-kilometre strait handles roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, equating to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption.

However, economic experts and geopolitical analysts warn that redrawing the Middle East's energy map is fraught with insurmountable logistical and security hurdles. The EIA noted that the strait serves as the transit point for a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade, primarily from Qatar.

Ahmed Abu Qamar, an economic researcher, told Al Jazeera that Rubio's statements represent a long-term strategic vision rather than an immediately executable economic plan. Energy markets are governed by the hard realities of supply and demand, he added, and it would take decades and billions of dollars in investments to even partially reduce reliance on the strait as one of the world's main thoroughfares for commodities.

The most critical challenge lies in natural gas, Abu Qamar said, as the entire LNG export ecosystem, including liquefaction plants, specialised tankers, and receiving ports, is heavily reliant on Hormuz. He warned that if this route is blocked, Europe and Asia would be forced to engage in fierce competition for alternative gas supplies, inevitably triggering massive price spikes, global inflation, and deep confusion for central banks worldwide.