Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he expects Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz to diminish in strategic importance once the current conflict ends, as oil pipelines are redirected away from the waterway.
In an interview with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, Netanyahu acknowledged he anticipated Iran might attempt to block the strait, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, though he noted the precise consequences could not be predicted.
"I thought they could do it, but I thought they'd also have to consider what would be the consequences if they do it, and nobody could predict that with accuracy," He said.
Netanyahu predicted that following the end of hostilities, the strait would lose much of its use as energy infrastructure relocates. "I don't think the straits are going to be that powerful a leverage, because people will move the energy pipelines out of the straits to the Red Sea, from there to Israel and the Mediterranean," He said. "We can unblock this choke point, and we will."