As the US and Iran skirmish for control of the Strait of Hormuz, in the ministries, boardrooms and financial hubs of the Gulf a different battle is under way. The unprecedented closure of the vital artery for oil, gas, fertilisers and other commodities has sparked a rush to maximise exports through alternative routes — and to develop new ones that, over time, promise to reshape Gulf trade flows. But new ports, pipelines and land links will take years to develop, can never fully bypass the strait, and will have their own risks. What has happened in the Gulf, moreover, has exposed the vulnerability of other maritime chokepoints to being used as geopolitical tools. Investing in reducing reliance on them today could pay dividends tomorrow.
在美国与伊朗为控制霍尔木兹海峡而争执之际，另一场较量正在海湾地区的各部委、董事会与金融中心进行。这个对石油、天然气、化肥及其他大宗商品至关重要的生命线被关闭可谓前所未有，促使各方争相通过替代路线将出口最大化——并开发新的通道，期望随时间推移重塑海湾贸易流向。然而，新的港口、管道与陆上联通需要数年才能成形，且永远无法完全绕过该海峡，并将存在其他风险。此外，海湾发生的这一切也暴露出其他海上咽喉要道被当作地缘政治工具的脆弱性。如今投入以降低对这些要道的依赖，未来或将获得回报。