Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are fast-tracking new oil pipeline infrastructure to replace export capacity lost as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dries up.
The move underscores the acute vulnerability of Persian Gulf energy flows to ongoing geopolitical pressure in the region.
The strategic pivot comes as prediction markets price a 66% chance that normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will not return before 2027.
In Baghdad, the cabinet recently approved plans to accelerate crude exports through the Kurdistan-Turkey pipeline network.
Simultaneously, Abu Dhabi is pushing forward with a second West-East pipeline to Fujairah, designed specifically to bypass the narrow maritime chokepoint entirely.
These parallel infrastructure pushes highlight a rapid pivot away from sea-based transit routes that have become increasingly exposed to disruption.
The strategic pivot comes as prediction markets price a 66% chance that normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will not return before 2027.