Report: US and Saudi Arabia plan to expand southern shipping route through Strait of Hormuz
Euro Times / Stockholm
The United States and Saudi Arabia are planning to expand a southern shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz as they seek to support maritime traffic amid continuing disruption across the region’s key waterways, according to a report by Israel Hayom citing regional diplomatic sources.
Iran International, which reported the claims, said the proposed shipping route was among the issues discussed during a meeting between US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi media confirmed that the meeting took place in Jeddah on Monday and said the two sides discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments. The official account, however, did not announce any specific arrangement for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The report comes as Gulf energy exports face mounting pressure from disruption in Hormuz, escalating fighting in Yemen and threats to shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.
According to the report, Washington is also seeking to prevent a further rise in oil prices and is coordinating regional support through a US Central Command joint operations centre assisting Saudi Arabia, including intelligence sharing and other capabilities at this stage.
The details of the proposed expansion of the southern route remain based on the Israel Hayom report and its diplomatic sources. Neither the United States nor Saudi Arabia has publicly confirmed the plan in the detail described by the newspaper.
The initiative has taken on added significance following damage to Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, one of the kingdom’s most important alternatives for bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, while the Houthis continue to expand operations around the Red Sea.
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