Europe explores energy security alternatives after Iran war's turmoil
[June 18, 2026] By
MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Iran war 's shock to global fuel prices has
reinforced Europe's stance that it must forge alternative trade and
energy routes to the Strait of Hormuz.
Here is a look at what the European Union is contemplating to bolster
its energy security and minimize the impact of future conflicts as it
turns to Gulf states and India.
A corridor to India is one option
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed renewed
interest in what is known as the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic
Corridor.
She told G7 leaders at this week's summit that “alternative export
routes have been created that are more resilient and offer choices”
while “other routes will be built — for example, a typical one is IMEC.”
IMEC is seen as potentially offering the EU greater economic resilience,
supply-chain diversification and energy security to bolster the bloc’s
strategic autonomy at a time when Russia shows few signs of curbing its
belligerence and the U.S. chips away at strategic bonds.
While the EU itself has supported IMEC through a memorandum of
understanding, only a handful of its 27 member states are formal
signatories. But behind the scenes, political commitment to IMEC is
strong, according to a high-ranking EU diplomat who spoke on condition
of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to disclose the contents of
confidential discussions.
“The focus now is on translating that vision into practical
implementation across its three pillars: transport and trade
connectivity, energy connectivity and digital connectivity,” said the
diplomat, who has participated in high-level meetings to discuss the
initiative. It could involve new pipelines and transmission cables,
among other infrastructure.
The EU’s press office declined to provide a prospective timeline for the
project.
IMEC would pass through Israel and enjoys its support. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year said he had spoken with his Indian
counterpart Narendra Modi about IMEC, calling it “a very revolutionary
and transformative development that we want to bring into place.”
Lianne Pollak-David, co-founder of the Israel-based Coalition for
Regional Security, told a recent online briefing that U.S. leadership
would be key to moving IMEC forward by helping in the normalization of
relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, an essential player in the
project.
“Without normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, IMEC cannot be
truly realized,” she said.
Saudi Arabia has said it will only normalize relations with Israel if
accompanied by a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood, something
Netanyahu opposes.
It remains unclear how the Iran war, launched by the U.S. and Israel and
damaging to Gulf Arab countries, may influence Saudi Arabia's thinking.
Asked about their position regarding IMEC, Saudi officials declined to
comment.
Skirting Middle Eastern trouble spots is a goal
Von der Leyen has said the EU in the first 54 days of the Iran war
shelled out 25 billion euros ($29 billion) more to import oil and gas
while facing the risk of a longer-term jet fuel shortage.
She and European Council President Antonio Costa said during an EU
leaders’ meeting in April that the bloc is “ready to team up with Gulf
countries” to help set up new energy infrastructure circumventing
conflict hot spots like the Strait of Hormuz.
The value of such alternatives is evident in the East-West Pipeline
running across Saudi Arabia from its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea.
After the Iran war started, Aramco ramped up transport to the maximum
capacity of 7 million barrels of oil per day.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a
media conference at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France,
Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
 The leaders of G7 nations are
discussing ways of financing and building infrastructure, “sometimes
on the terrestrial part, that will be able to go outside of the
track of the Strait of Hormuz,” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Pascal Confavreux told The Associated Press.
Neither Von der Leyen nor Costa have provided specifics on EU-backed
projects, which could also form part of IMEC. But an EU official
told the AP that the bloc would encourage European companies to
invest in renewable energy projects in the Gulf to supply the EU's
energy demand. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because
they can't speak about the EU's plans publicly.
Getting the EU involved with collaborative projects in Gulf
countries will take time, according to Gabriel Mitchell, an analyst
with the German Marshall Fund think tank. The most likely projects
in the near term are oil and gas pipelines, which have the shortest
construction timeline, and subsidizing repairs at Gulf facilities
that Tehran targeted during the war.
Mitchell said any new projects would need to fall in line with the
EU’s green policies, which means pipelines, for example, would
likely be built with future “dual-use” capabilities of transporting
both gas and possibly hydrogen.
A transmission line would connect regions
Another project is the Great Seas Interconnector, an EU-backed
electricity cable envisioned to stretch 1,208 kilometers (750 miles)
to connect the power grids of continental Europe with EU member
Cyprus and eventually Israel.
The GSI is bogged down in red tape over its financing, but its
potential is significant not only for ending the energy isolation of
Cyprus and Israel but also acting as an energy link to India and
likewise forming part of IMEC.
Gallia Lindenstrauss, senior fellow with the Israel-based Institute
for National Security Studies, hailed GSI as a “very pragmatic
solution for the modern energy needs” that paves the way for the
transition to green energies.
“As energy security and grid backup move to the forefront of the
global agenda, this project provides a flexible platform,”
Lindenstrauss said.
The U.S. is helping to foster closer energy ties among Greece,
Cyprus and Israel as it sees the Eastern Mediterranean as “an
increasingly important region for global energy development,” U.S.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said last week.
Wright was in Houston to inaugurate the Eastern Mediterranean Energy
Center at Rice University that aims to boost cooperation on
developing natural gas deposits, U.S. liquefied national gas
infrastructure and energy transportation networks in the European
region.
___
Associated Press writers Sam McNeil in Brussels and John Leicester
in Paris contributed to this report.
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