Washington, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv seek to bypass Iranian control over critical oil shipping routes amid stalled negotiations.
A trilateral initiative between the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia targets Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two pivotal oil transit chokepoints. Tehran’s de facto control over these routes has long constrained global energy flows, with Iranian forces positioned along the eastern stretch of the Hormuz Strait.