Iran continues to halt almost all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

With Hormuz effectively blocked, Gulf exporters are shifting flows to pipelines that bypass the strait.

Shipments through these alternative routes have already started and are steadily ramping up, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Saudi Arabia is rapidly increasing flows via its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, while the UAE is raising exports through the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which connects onshore fields to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea pivot is now carrying meaningful volumes.

According to the IEA’s March Oil Market Report, flows through the East-West pipeline have surged from an average of 1.7 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2025 to a record daily export of 5.9 mb/d from its western port of Yanbu on March 9 — with the pipeline expected to reach its full capacity of 7 mb/d within days.

The UAE is making a similar move. The IEA reports that flows through the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which connects onshore fields to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, averaged 1.8 mb/d between March 1-10 — hitting the line’s reported maximum capacity, up from around 1 mb/d before the crisis.

While Gulf nations struggle to find alternatives to Hormuz, Iran has continued to ship oil at a rate of 1.1 million to 1.5 million barrels per day, TankerTracker.com ​and Kpler data show.

On Friday, US forces struck Kharg Island, the hub for about 90% of Iran’s oil exports and long viewed as one of Tehran’s most sensitive vulnerabilities.

US forces “totally obliterated every military target” there, President Donald Trump said on social media, warning that Iran’s oil infrastructure could also be hit if it continues to interfere with shipping in the strait.

Markets were watching for any sign that the strikes had damaged Kharg’s intricate network of ⁠pipelines, terminals and storage tanks.

Even minor disruptions could further tighten global supply, adding pressure to an already volatile market.