Are there alternative routes if the Strait of Hormuz is closed?
Posted on Feb 28, 2026 / Travel
If the Strait of Hormuz was somehow blocked, there really isn’t a quick sea alternative of the same size because it’s the only major water link from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. That’s why countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have built pipelines that can carry some oil around the strait to ports on the Gulf of Oman, which helps reduce but not replace the huge volume normally shipped by tankers. Some pipelines, like Saudi Arabia’s East-West line to the Red Sea, already exist but their total capacity is a fraction of what Hormuz handles daily. Without major new infrastructure, global oil traders would have trouble moving the same amount of crude, and shipments would get more expensive and slower. Some ships might try longer routes or bypass parts of the region, but that also drives up freight costs and delivery times. Building brand new pipelines or alternative transport arteries takes years and billions of dollars, so in the short term there really isn’t a full substitute for Hormuz. That’s part of why its potential disruption is such a big deal internationally.
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