As the Iran war reshaped global energy politics, attention shifted to the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, now being sold as a key part of the post‑Hormuz energy map. The US‑backed initiative aims to link India to Europe through the Middle East using ports, rail links and energy pipelines, effectively creating a new overland bridge between Asia and Europe. Supporters argue the corridor could complement Gulf efforts to bypass the Strait of Hormuz by adding new routes for oil, gas and goods, helping to diversify and de‑risk global supply chains. Officials are pitching IMEC as a long‑term way to reduce the region’s dependence on a single, vulnerable chokepoint in the Gulf, even as fighting continues around Hormuz. In parallel, the UK has convened talks among about 35 countries – including France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the UAE – on how and when to reopen the strait, while President Donald Trump insists the “hardest” phase of the Iran war is over and predicts Hormuz will “open up naturally” once Tehran needs to sell oil again.