Saudi-France Talks Explore Oil Routes Around the Strait of Hormuz

During MBS's August 23–24 France visit, Macron and Bin Salman discussed pipelines, capacity upgrades, and alternative ports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow chokepoint for Gulf oil shipping, disrupted since the US-Israeli war on Iran began February 28. Brent crude trades near $93, up from $66 pre-conflict. France is a major buyer of Saudi petroleum.