Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a major structural shift in global energy transit on Tuesday, advocating for the construction of pipelines toward the Mediterranean Sea to neutralize Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with Newsmax, Netanyahu argued that rerouting energy flows westward across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and Mediterranean would create a vital bypass around the Iranian-controlled "geographic choke point." 

The Strait currently handles approximately 20% of global oil exports, with its closure significantly affecting global fuel prices. 

"Long-term solutions include rerouting energy pipelines westward... bypassing Iran's geographic choke point," Netanyahu said, emphasizing that reducing reliance on the narrow waterway is essential for global energy security.

The proposal comes as Tehran moves to tighten its grip on the region. On Monday, Iran’s Parliament Security Committee approved the "Strait of Hormuz Management Plan." 

According to Iranian state media, the plan includes a rial-based toll system and an explicit ban on American and Israeli vessels. It also seeks to prohibit passage for any nation participating in unilateral sanctions against Iran.

Netanyahu noted that while military intervention offers "short-term stability," a permanent reduction in Iran’s strategic leverage requires building alternative overland routes for oil and gas.

The geopolitical tension is playing out against the second month of a broader conflict in West Asia. 

Despite the friction, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt credited the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts for the recent movement of 30 oil tankers through the area.

Leavitt rejected claims that Iran is "cherry-picking" which vessels may pass, asserting that the traffic is the result of direct and indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

"These tankers that are moving through... are a result of the direct and indirect talks that are taking place," Leavitt said during a press briefing, insisting that such maritime movement would be impossible without sustained U.S. engagement.

For Netanyahu, however, the diplomatic thaw does not replace the need for new infrastructure. By shifting the flow of energy toward the Mediterranean, he aims to permanently diminish the Strait’s role as a tool of Iranian foreign policy.

In early March, Egypt offered the Sumed pipeline to transport Saudi Arabia’s crude to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.