Gulf oil exporters use alternate routes to sustain supply amid Iran conflict
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf producers have rerouted oil through spare pipeline capacity and a U.S.-protected corridor, keeping global supply steady despite higher prices.
Nearly half a year after the Iran war began, crude prices have risen to about $100 a barrel, yet analysts say global supply still meets demand because Gulf producers have found multiple workarounds. Saudi Aramco and the UAE’s ADNOC used spare pipeline capacity across Oman to Fujairah, and a U.S.-supervised night-time shuttle through the Strait of Hormuz handled roughly 6 million barrels per day, representing a sizable share of pre-war flows.
Disruptions such as the July Houthi blockade of the Yanbu route and the recent attack on the East-West pipeline prompted Saudi shipments to be rerouted through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal or an Egyptian pipeline, adding weeks to voyages. The alternative routes are costly; charter rates for Hormuz transits spiked to $1 million per day, making shipping a quarter of the oil’s price. Nevertheless, combined pipeline, tanker and inventory flows have balanced the market, keeping prices from soaring to $140-$150 per barrel, according to Rystad Energy.
Why it matters
The makeshift routes keep world oil markets stable, preventing sharper price spikes that would hurt economies worldwide.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage highlights the U.S. naval blockade and resulting truck backlog at the Turkey-Iran crossing, while centrist coverage emphasizes the variety of alternate pipelines and shipping routes keeping Gulf oil flowing, and right-leaning coverage stresses that despite mounting costs, global oil supply remains sufficient.
LEFT
Frames the story around the U.S. blockade forcing a massive truck backlog and hardship for Iran and Turkey.
CENTER
Frames the story as Gulf exporters finding multiple costly workarounds to sustain oil supply amid the conflict.
RIGHT
Frames the story as Gulf nations maintaining oil flow despite rising costs, with supply still meeting global demand.
The left emphasises
- U.S. navy’s blockade of Iranian ports
- Truck queue grew from ~200 to 1,200 at the Gürbulak crossing
- Iranian president accuses the United States of creating hardships
The right emphasises
- Alternative pipelines and military-protected routes keep supplies sufficient
- Costs are mounting but oil is not exorbitant
- Higher prices cause political problems
How this story developed
- Sep 10 Yemen's multi-front war intensifies as Houthis and government forces vie for strategic strongholds
- Sep 14 U.S. officials report that roughly two-thirds of pre-conflict oil volumes are now moving through Hormuz, while Iran disputes control of the waterway. Tanker-tracker data, however, shows daily transits remain far below historic levels. At the same time, attacks on a Saudi pipeline and a vessel in the strait have lifted global oil prices.
- Sep 15 Houthi forces reported seizing the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands.
- Sep 15 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi in Cairo to discuss Red Sea navigation and retaliation against the Houthis.
- Sep 16 Saudi civil defense issued emergency shelter warnings for Jeddah, Mecca and Taif.
- Sep 16 Saudi coalition announced a drone it said was Houthi‑linked was heading toward Mecca and triggered a brief security alert.
- Sep 18 Since the earlier report of 86,000 displaced, the UN now says over 112,000 have been forced from their homes.
- Sep 19 Washington met Houthi envoys in Oman and secured assurances that American vessels would not be targeted.
- Sep 19 Saudi officials confirmed that Yemen's Houthi forces attempted a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh, which was intercepted, and also failed to hit targets in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan.
- Sep 21 Fire on the tanker was extinguished after the projectile strike.
- Sep 22 The United States declined to conduct direct kinetic strikes against the Houthis.
- Sep 22 UN agencies warned that displacement could rise to over 230,000 if the fighting continues.
- Sep 23 A cargo ship was struck by an unknown projectile, igniting a fire and forcing crew evacuation.
- Sep 24 The Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and nearby Bab al‑Mandab positions.
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