Dire Straits—Hormuz Alternatives

A 100-year-old Levant pipeline bypassed the Gulf chokepoint. With tankers halted and prices soaring in 2026, an abandoned route could be key to energy security.

An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz on Dec. 10, 2023. STR/Reuters

Commentary

The narrow Strait of Hormuz has long been the world’s most precarious energy artery. At its tightest point—about 21 miles across—roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day flow through, accounting for around 20 percent of global oil consumption and about 25 percent of seaborne oil trade.