Saudi Arabia Backup Plan for the Strait of Hormuz

While the world panicked about the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia already had a backup plan. A 1,200 km pipeline across the desert Persian Gulf ➝ Red Sea Built in 1981 to bypass Hormuz entirely.

Now running at full capacity. Up to 7 million barrels of oil per day flowing west.

  • Saudi Arabia’s East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, operational since 1981, spans 1,200 km from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and is now at full 7 million bpd capacity to circumvent Iran’s Strait of Hormuz closure declared on March 4, 2026.
  • While helpful, the pipeline offsets only about 33% of normal Hormuz traffic (21 million bpd total), as confirmed by Aramco’s recent expansions and market analyses, leaving global oil supplies vulnerable to prolonged disruptions.
  • The post from an Israel-focused account celebrates Saudi foresight against Iranian threats, but replies note risks like pipeline sabotage and Houthi interference in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, highlighting incomplete regional safeguards.

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