Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that a long-term solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz would include the construction of pipelines that would carry the Gulf state's oil and gas to the Mediterranean.
"Long-term solutions include rerouting energy pipelines westward, across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, bypassing Iran's geographic choke point," Netanyahu explained in an interview with conservative US media outlet Newsmax.
Currently, the Strait is one of the main chokepoints in the energy market, with 20% of global oil exports passing through it.
While Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman have territorial waters in the Strait, the presence of Iran on the other side of Hormuz has made it vulnerable, with the Islamic regime having the capabilities of threatening global energy markets by attacking ships that go through the Strait.
This has been Iran's main strategy during the current war, alongside its missile attacks towards Israel and the Gulf States. Netanyahu noted that, while a military solution might offer short-term stability, a deal that eliminates the strategic importance of the Strait might be the best route long-term.
'Beyond halfway point': Netanyahu avoids giving precise end date to war
Netanyahu also said in the interview with Newsmax that the war with Iran is "beyond its halfway point," although he avoided giving a precise end date for the war.
"We're beyond the halfway point in terms of mission success," Netanyahu said, adding that the IDF's current focus is on destroying the remaining nuclear capabilities of the Iranian regime.
"We've already degraded their missile capabilities, destroyed factories, and eliminated key nuclear scientists," he explained, warning that Iran is "pursuing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to American cities. That's what this war is about, preventing that outcome."
Netanyahu also pointed out that the regime was able to attack the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, with this being Iran's longest strike and a demonstration that their missiles could reach almost any country in the region, including most of Europe.
"It wasn't an intercontinental missile, but it's getting there, about 4,000 km. That puts much of Europe within range," Netanyahu pointed out.
Netanyahu asks the West to 'wake up'
Finally, Netanyahu also said that this attack on Diego Garcia should represent a "wake-up call" for the West, which, in his opinion, has been ignoring the Iranian threat for a long time.
"The question is whether the West will wake up," Netanyahu said. "Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons and delivery systems for years, yet many ignored it."
He also compared the situation to the US President Donald Trump, who, according to Netanyahu, "didn't ignore the warnings."
"He recognized the threat decades ago and acted decisively, including leaving the Iran nuclear deal," Netanyahu added and concluded: "This is not just Israel's problem."