KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait is in talks with Saudi Arabia and other Arab neighbors to build a new pipeline for crude oil exports that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz, Kuwait's oil minister said Sunday.
Speaking in an interview with Kyodo News in Kuwait City, Minister of Oil Tariq Sulaiman Al-Roumi said the country's oil exports have "completely stopped" due to Iran's effective closure of the strait, and that rebuilding some attacked oil storage tanks would take "at least a year."
Kuwait had been one of Japan's major crude suppliers before the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that began in late February.
As Kuwait lies deep inside the Persian Gulf, Al-Roumi said that as long as the strait remains blocked, "oil exports are zero," indicating a very high likelihood that a new bypass pipeline would be built through consultations with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
One proposed bypass route would connect Kuwait via Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea or Oman, while another would link Kuwait to the UAE port of Fujairah.
"We are currently looking for the best and most cost-effective option," Al-Roumi said, adding that it would be a "huge project."
Calling Japan one of Kuwait's "strategic clients" in terms of crude oil exports and refined products, Al-Roumi said discussions were also being held to boost strategic reserves in friendly countries.
Al-Roumi strongly condemned Iranian missile and drone strikes on Kuwait and other Gulf states, while stressing that Kuwait has not launched any attacks against Iran.
"All our vital facilities, including the oil sector, are protected by air defenses," Al-Roumi said. He added that Kuwait plans to bolster its air defense capabilities even further following the crisis.
