European leaders are racing to secure alternative energy routes and infrastructure after the Iran war exposed the continent's vulnerability to fuel price shocks and supply disruptions, with the European Union spending 25 billion euros ($29 billion) more on oil and gas imports in just the first 54 days of the conflict.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen 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." The India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor represents a potential pathway to greater economic resilience and energy security for a bloc facing Russian aggression and uncertain U.S. strategic commitments.
The Human Cost of Energy Insecurity
Von der Leyen warned that the EU faces the risk of a longer-term jet fuel shortage alongside the immediate financial burden of higher energy costs. 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 Iran war, launched by the U.S. and Israel and damaging to Gulf Arab countries, has reinforced Europe's determination to reduce dependence on vulnerable chokepoints. After the war started, Saudi Arabia's Aramco ramped up transport through the East-West Pipeline running across the kingdom from its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea to the maximum capacity of 7 million barrels of oil per day, demonstrating the value of alternative routes.
Building Resilient Infrastructure
A high-ranking EU diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to disclose the contents of confidential discussions, said political commitment to IMEC is strong behind the scenes. "The focus now is on translating that vision into practical implementation across its three pillars: transport and trade connectivity, energy connectivity and digital connectivity," the diplomat said. He said it could involve new pipelines and transmission cables, among other infrastructure.
The EU itself has supported IMEC through a memorandum of understanding, but only a handful of its 27 member states are formal signatories. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told The Associated Press that G7 leaders 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."
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.
Political Obstacles and Timeline Uncertainty
IMEC would pass through Israel and enjoys its support. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last year 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 may influence Saudi Arabia's thinking. Asked about their position regarding IMEC, Saudi officials declined to comment. The EU's press office declined to provide a prospective timeline for the project.
Green Transition and Practical Solutions
Gabriel Mitchell, an analyst with the German Marshall Fund think tank, said getting the EU involved with collaborative projects in Gulf countries will take time. 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.
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, called GSI 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.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said last week he was in Houston to inaugurate the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center at Rice University, which aims to boost cooperation on developing natural gas deposits, U.S. liquefied national gas infrastructure and energy transportation networks in the European region. 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," Wright said.
Why This Matters:
The Iran war has exposed how vulnerable European households and economies remain to energy price shocks driven by distant conflicts, with billions in additional costs falling on consumers and businesses already strained by inflation. The push for alternative energy routes reflects a broader struggle to build the public infrastructure and international cooperation needed to protect working families from market volatility and geopolitical instability. Whether Europe can translate political commitments into concrete projects that advance both energy security and climate goals will determine the continent's ability to maintain social and economic stability in an era of rising global tensions. The success or failure of multilateral initiatives like IMEC and the Great Seas Interconnector will shape whether European workers and communities gain protection from energy crises or remain exposed to the human costs of conflict and price manipulation.