Netanyahu's New Plan: Bypass Hormuz, End Iran's Nuclear Threat — What It Means for the World
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Shaurya Thakur 2026-03-20 Netanyahu Iran plan, US Israel Iran war 60
Three weeks into one of the most consequential military conflicts of the 21st century, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped forward this week with a plan that could reshape the energy map of the Middle East — and potentially determine how the war with Iran ends. Speaking publicly on March 20, 2026, Netanyahu outlined what he described as a definitive roadmap: end Iran's ability to threaten global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, and route energy supplies directly through Israel instead.
It is an ambitious vision. And coming at a moment when the world is watching crude prices climb toward $107 a barrel and global energy markets teeter on edge, it is one that carries enormous implications — not just for the Middle East, but for countries like India that depend heavily on stable oil supplies from the Gulf.
What Netanyahu Actually Said
Netanyahu's announcement came in two parts. The first was a declaration of military success. He stated clearly that after weeks of sustained US-Israel strikes on Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles. It was a sweeping claim — one that the International Atomic Energy Agency has partially validated, noting that Iran's nuclear program is "heavily damaged," though cautioning that nuclear material and some enrichment capacity may still exist.
The second part of Netanyahu's statement was the more strategically significant one. He announced that Israel would hold off on further strikes on Iranian gas fields — at the explicit request of US President Donald Trump — but outlined a longer-term plan: oil and gas from the Gulf region should flow through Israel, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz entirely. His words were direct — Israel would "end Iran's blackmail" on the strait and ensure energy would "flow through Israel" to global markets.
It is a plan that, if executed, would fundamentally alter the geopolitics of global energy. The Strait of Hormuz currently handles nearly 20% of the world's oil supply. Iranian threats to close or disrupt it have long been one of the most potent pressure points in Middle Eastern diplomacy. Netanyahu is essentially proposing to make that pressure point irrelevant.
Where the War Stands Right Now
To understand Netanyahu's plan, it helps to understand where the conflict currently sits. The war — which began with Operation Epic Fury, the coordinated US-Israel strike on Iranian military and nuclear sites — has now entered its third week. You can read our full breakdown of how it all began in our earlier coverage of Operation Epic Fury: Everything We Know About the US-Israel Strike on Iran.
Since then, the conflict has escalated significantly on multiple fronts. Iranian drone strikes have targeted Gulf energy infrastructure, including a major strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG facility — one of the world's largest — knocking out an estimated 17% of Qatar's LNG capacity for up to five years. Dubai's airport was hit. Oil tankers have been targeted in the Gulf. The human cost has been severe on all sides.
On the US side, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this week that the Pentagon is seeking an additional $200 billion in funding for the war effort — a figure that signals Washington's commitment to seeing this through. President Trump has also been publicly frustrated with NATO allies who have declined to join the conflict, calling them out by name and warning they would not be forgotten.
Iran's Leadership Void
One of the most significant — and underreported — dimensions of this conflict is what it has done to Iran's political and military leadership. Airstrikes have reportedly killed several top figures, including the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and other senior officials. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's fate has been a subject of intense speculation, with Iran releasing a video this week apparently showing him alive — though many analysts remain skeptical about its authenticity.
The question of what Iran looks like after Khamenei — and after this war — is one that the world is only beginning to wrestle with seriously. We explored this in depth in our earlier piece on What Happens to Iran After Khamenei? The short answer is that nobody really knows — and that uncertainty itself is one of the most destabilising forces at play right now.
What the Hormuz Bypass Would Actually Look Like
Netanyahu's proposal is not entirely new in concept. Israel has long had pipelines and port infrastructure that, in theory, could be used to route Gulf energy to Mediterranean and global markets. The Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline — which runs from the Red Sea port of Eilat to the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon — is one such route that has been discussed in various forms over the decades.
Making it a serious alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, however, would require enormous investment, political agreements with Gulf states, and a level of regional cooperation that currently seems distant. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Gulf producers would need to buy into the idea — and while some of these states have moved toward normalisation with Israel in recent years, committing their energy exports to an Israeli pipeline is a different proposition entirely.
Still, Netanyahu's statement signals a broader intent: to use Israel's military gains in this conflict to reposition the country as a central node in regional energy infrastructure. Whether that vision becomes reality will depend on how the war ends and what kind of diplomatic landscape emerges afterward.
What It Means for India
For India, the stakes in all of this are exceptionally high. The country imports around 85% of its crude oil and relies heavily on Gulf supplies routed through — or near — the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption to those supplies has already triggered a petrol price hike, an LPG shortage, and the invocation of the Essential Commodities Act. Our earlier explainer on the Strait of Hormuz Crisis and what it means for India's oil and gas remains essential reading for understanding just how exposed India is to these developments.
If Netanyahu's Hormuz bypass plan gains traction, it could — in the long run — offer India and other oil-importing nations a more stable alternative supply route. But in the short term, the disruption continues, and Indian households are the ones absorbing the cost.
A War With No Clear End in Sight
Netanyahu's announcements this week offer a glimpse of what Israel envisions as an endgame — a Middle East where Iran's military and nuclear capabilities are permanently degraded, and where Israeli infrastructure plays a central role in regional energy flows. Whether that vision is achievable, and at what cost, remains deeply uncertain.
What is certain is that the world is watching. Energy markets are on edge. Global supply chains are stretched. And the decisions made in the coming days and weeks in Tel Aviv, Washington, and Tehran will shape the geopolitical landscape for years to come.
The war is three weeks old. It does not feel anywhere close to over.
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