UAE Oil Pipeline Bypassing Strait of Hormuz Halfway Done Ahead of 2027

Middle Eastern outlets describe a tense stand‑off in which Iran is testing how far it can go in controlling Hormuz while Gulf states and the US push back. UAE voices dismiss Tehran’s control plan as unrealistic but also stress that alternative routes, including the new pipeline and UAE‑Oman corridors, cannot fully replace Hormuz before 2027. Commentators in the region expect drawn‑out bargaining between Iran, Gulf states, and Washington over fees, security guarantees, and traffic rules in the strait.

• •Iran’s IRGC Navy is using selective passage of vessels through Hormuz to show it can disrupt or ease traffic at will.
• •UAE officials argue that Iran’s idea of charging ships transit fees in Hormuz would violate international norms on free navigation.
• •Gulf governments are accelerating work on land and sea corridors through Oman and the UAE to keep essential goods moving while Hormuz traffic is restricted.
• •Abu Dhabi’s oil company plans to rely on the new pipeline and other routes but concedes these will not match Hormuz export capacity before mid‑2027.
• •Regional commentators expect any US‑Iran understanding on Hormuz to involve limits on Iranian naval actions in exchange for some economic or political concessions.