Israeli Minister of Energy Eli Cohen on the Saudi–Israel pipeline vision: If you look at the map, you'll see that ground infrastructure can be laid from the Gulf states all the way to the Mediterranean — and from the Mediterranean it can flow to Europe. This is a very big interest for the Saudis, because the Saudis understand oil is their main source of income. The last war shows that you need not only a source of energy but also a route to export it. I estimate that in a few years, if a confrontation breaks out in our region, the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb will no longer be able to be a threat or a card for Iran. I estimate four to five years for the alternative to be ready.