Revived Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline could introduce new dynamics in the politics of the Middle East

Israel has proposed reviving the Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline to divert oil cargo away from the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea. The war between Saudi Arabia and the Ansar Allah Houthis continues to disrupt oil exports, particularly for Saudi Arabia, at the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia has been using its Yanbu port, which has a long pipeline exporting its own oil. The plan proposes a new pipeline from Saudi Arabia that will join its Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline in the Red Sea via Jordan.   According to reports in Haaretz and other outlets, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered Israeli military assistance to help Saudi Arabia fight the Iran-backed Houthis, viewing it as a potential pathway toward normalisation.  […]