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US-backed pipeline proposal targets global reliance on Strait of Hormuz amid Iran threats

Published

2 weeks ago

May 5, 2026

A new U.S.-backed proposal to build a network of overland energy pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is gaining attention as tensions in the region expose a critical vulnerability in the global energy system.

A policy memo reviewed by Fox News Digital outlines the concept, known as “ARAM Express,” a proposed consortium between the United States and Gulf partners to develop a multidirectional overland network for oil, gas and petrochemicals, originating with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.

TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKS

The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.

“European buyers are desperate for long-term supply resilience, and Asian customers are equally exposed,” Goldberg said. “Even China cannot tolerate the risk of a sustained disruption.”

The push comes as Iran’s threats to commercial shipping and ongoing U.S. efforts to secure the waterway under President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” highlight the risks posed by a single chokepoint to global energy flows.

Roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, making it a critical artery for global markets. With Iran threatening shipping and U.S. forces now guiding vessels through the strait under President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom,” the White House is framing the crisis in global terms.

“The President will not allow Iran to hold the global economy hostage and undermine the free flow of energy,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, describing the launch of “Project Freedom” as a humanitarian effort to restore navigation through the strait.

That framing aligns with a growing view among U.S. officials and analysts that the risk is not only immediate but also structural.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz signaled that Washington’s partners are already looking beyond the strait itself.

“I know our Gulf partners and allies are seriously thinking through that,” Waltz told Fox News Digital when asked about long-term alternatives during a conference call with reporters Monday.

“I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies,” he added.

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The idea that Hormuz represents a structural weakness is not new. But until now, it has largely been tolerated, with global markets relying on stability in the Gulf to keep energy flowing.

That assumption is now under strain.

Even with U.S. naval power deployed to secure the waterway, the current crisis has highlighted how quickly disruption, or even the threat of it, can ripple through global supply chains.

“This isn’t just a long-term idea anymore,” said Rich Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. “There is a real threat to the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t going away so long as the regime in Tehran remains.”

AS IRAN WEAKENS, QUESTIONS GROW OVER MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN’S REGIONAL AMBITIONS

Saudi Arabia stands out as the country among Gulf states that has invested most heavily in reducing reliance on Hormuz.

Its East-West pipeline allows crude oil to travel from eastern fields on the Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the strait entirely. From there, shipments can move toward Europe, Africa and Asia without entering the chokepoint.

“Saudi Arabia has treated the Strait of Hormuz risk with planning, not panic,” said Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst.

“The East-West pipeline is strategic insurance,” he told Fox News Digital, “A Hormuz closure would be disruptive, but not paralyzing. Saudi Arabia has spent years reducing that vulnerability, and today it is uniquely positioned to absorb shocks and keep global flows moving.”

Al-Ansari argued that the kingdom’s strategy goes beyond energy exports, positioning the country as a broader logistics hub.

“Ports, pipelines, land bridges, storage and Red Sea access are all part of one Saudi contingency architecture,” he said.

HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE

Saudi Arabia is not the only player adapting.

The United Arab Emirates also has developed alternative export capacity through its pipeline to Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, some analysts argue that recent regional dynamics point to a deeper shift, one that goes beyond infrastructure and into the political structure of the Gulf itself.

Yonatan Adiri, an Israeli entrepreneur and former adviser to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, said the traditional model of a unified Gulf energy system centered on Hormuz is beginning to break down.

“The whole arrangement … it’s starting to expire,” Adiri said, referring to the long-standing reliance on the strait as a central artery for Gulf exports.

He pointed to emerging economic and geopolitical realignments, including new corridors and shifting alliances, that are fragmenting the region’s traditional energy architecture.

“The UAE stepping away from OPEC is not just about production policy,” Adiri said, referring to the country’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries effective May 1, 2026. “It reflects a broader shift toward an independent strategy — building its own routes, partnerships and leverage rather than relying on a collective system.”

These changes are driven in part by broader global competition, according to Adiri, particularly efforts by the United States and its partners to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

“The entire system is being rethought,” he said, describing a shift toward diversified routes that reduce reliance on single choke points.

WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL

Despite these developments, not all Gulf states are equally prepared.

“If you’re Kuwait, you’re in a world of hurt,” Goldberg said, pointing to countries that lack meaningful alternatives to maritime exports.

Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, remains heavily dependent on the strait, with limited options to reroute supply if shipping is disrupted.

This uneven exposure could reshape regional dynamics, giving countries with alternative routes greater resilience and leverage in future crises.

While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain.

One of the most sensitive issues is whether future corridors could involve Israel, even indirectly.

“As for routes involving Israel, even indirectly, the politics are extremely difficult under current circumstances,” Al-Ansari said. “I genuinely do not see it happening now.”

At the same time, he suggested that such cooperation could become more realistic in the future under different political conditions.

For now, the U.S. and its allies remain focused on stabilizing the immediate situation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that ships can pass safely and global markets continue to function.

But as tensions persist, the current crisis is forcing a broader reassessment.

The question is no longer just how to secure the strait, but whether the global energy system can afford to depend on it to the extent it has for decades.

If the current trajectory continues, Hormuz may remain critical, but no longer dominant, experts argue, as countries invest in new routes, new partnerships and a more diversified energy map.

Fox News Digital reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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‘Brady Bunch’ cast made nearly nothing from decades of reruns, Eve Plumb claims

Published

22 minutes ago

May 17, 2026

Addison Blake

Eve Plumb says America’s favorite TV family wasn’t cashing in behind the scenes.

Despite “The Brady Bunch” becoming a widely popular sitcom after its 1969 to 1974 run, Plumb revealed the cast saw little financial reward from the endless reruns that turned the show into a pop-culture institution.

“A lot of times when you’re an actor, you can see that people are looking at you like you have it all, and you have all the money in the world… I just wanted to set it straight that that’s not necessarily true. That the pay rate was different… the residuals were different and also actors are continually having to fight to be paid, in any way,” Plumb exclusively told Fox News Digital.

‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR SHARES THE SIMPLE WORD THAT SAVED HER FROM HOLLYWOOD TRAPS

“And there’s some sort of idea that we… should do this for free because it’s fun. It’s work… we’re trained, and we spend a lot of time and money to do the work well. So, we should be paid.”

The actress, best known for playing Jan Brady, debunked one of Hollywood’s biggest myths in her memoir, “Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond” — that classic TV stars automatically became rich from reruns.

WATCH: ‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR EVE PLUMB SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON TV RESIDUALS

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“People often think that the six Brady kids now coast through life on our residuals from the hundreds of thousands of times the five seasons of ‘The Brady Bunch’ have been in reruns since 1974,” Plumb wrote in her book, out now. “If only it were so.”

“The reality is that we each had a contract that would pay us residuals for the first 10 reruns of each episode only,” she continued. “Obviously, it was never expected that the show would rerun more than three, maybe four, times. Needless to say, that faucet of residuals income ran dry before I even graduated from high school.”

Plumb said the money stopped almost as quickly as the cameras did.

WATCH: ‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR EVE PLUMB SHARES HOLLYWOOD RULE THAT KEPT HER GROUNDED

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“If I had a dime for every rerun episode, I’d pay off the national deficit,” she quipped in the memoir’s introduction before delivering the punchline: “I don’t.”

She later doubled down in an interview with “PauseRewind,” saying, “We don’t make residuals.”

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Former co-star Barry Williams has backed up Plumb’s claims for years.

‘BRADY BUNCH’ ACTOR ADMITS ROMANCE WITH CO-STAR WAS ‘ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN’ FOR YEARS

In his 1992 memoir, “Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg,” Williams revealed just how modest the cast’s paychecks really were during the show’s peak.

WATCH: ‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR EVE PLUMB SHARES TOUGHEST PART ABOUT WRITING ‘HAPPINESS INCLUDED’ MEMOIR

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“Salaries for sitcom actors have changed considerably since the ’70s,” Williams wrote, according to Page Six. “In our fifth and final year, the highest salary among us kids was $1,100 a week.”

The top-paid Brady kid earned just over $24,000 for the final 22-episode season — before taxes, agent fees and helping support family members.

“It was enough to indulge in toys, but hardly enough to carry you through the slow periods that inevitably followed,” Williams wrote.

He also confirmed the cast’s rerun income evaporated fast.

“Payments for subsequent airings of the show dried up shortly after we finished filming,” Williams wrote.

“Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond” is available now.

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Fitness influencer says one simple habit can help anyone get back in shape

Published

22 minutes ago

May 17, 2026

Addison Blake

Fitness influencer and trainer Mark Langowski, known on social media as @bodybymark, hosted a pushup and plank competition in New York City this week, where he urged the public to get up and get moving.

On his platform of nearly two million Instagram followers, Langowski asks fit people to share their workout routines. He was able to meet more in-shape New Yorkers at his Washington Square Park meet-up, in partnership with Oikos yogurt on May 12.

A male and a female winner who achieved the most pushups or held a plank the longest were gifted $500 each.

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Besides the cash prize, the inspiration was to get more people moving, Langowski shared during an interview with Fox News Digital.

“[It’s] a way to encourage strength and overall fitness in New York City and all around the country,” he said.

“We got together and we’re doing a plank competition, pushup competition. We had a guy just do 111 pushups. We’re just getting people moving.”

FITNESS EXPERT REVEALS SIMPLE RULE TO GET IN SHAPE WITHOUT DREADING THE GYM: ‘JUST MOVE’

Langowski said the attributes of a great competitor include strength, humility and confidence.

“The people who … did the most, they didn’t say they were going to do the most,” he said. “And there were other people who said they could do 150, and they did 70.”

Having a bit of humility helps make a good competitor, the trainer added.

Pushups and planks mark a “good general baseline” for measuring fitness level, according to Langowski. Some other basics include pull-ups, squats and endurance challenges, like running a mile — the kind of basics included in an elementary school fitness assessment.

For those who haven’t yet mastered these basics but want to get in better shape, Langowski shared some advice on how to get started.

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“Get with a trainer or someone who knows how to progress you,” he advised. “A lot of people are like, ‘I can’t do a pushup, so I’m never going to do one.’ That’s not the way.”

Langowski recommends starting with pushups on your knees or against a wall, then gradually progressing to standard pushups by moving onto your toes and lowering yourself fully to the ground before pushing back up.

“You’ll be surprised after you do that for a couple weeks, a couple months, a couple years – you’re going to be able to do a lot,” he said. “Nobody was born being able to do 111 pushups. They put in the work and they started somewhere.”

The trainer noted that in addition to practicing, it’s just as important to give the body rest and to support muscle growth with proper protein intake and an overall healthy diet.

But perhaps the most crucial step toward getting in shape, according to Langowski, is having the motivation to get started

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“I know that’s easy for me to say – I’ve been in fitness and been relatively fit most of my life,” he said. “And I know a lot of people are sitting on the couch and they either feel sorry for themselves or they’re going through a tough time … You’ve just got to get out there.”

The trainer suggested starting with a simple walk — even just around the block — with no gym equipment required.

“You don’t need an expensive gym membership to get in good shape,” he said. “Most of the people that I stop on the street, they don’t have a gym membership at all. They do it in their living room.”

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“And that’s where you can do the exercises I mentioned – the squats, the lunges, the pushups,” Langowski went on.

“So, I would encourage people just to start, but also to get some friends or get a trainer, someone to support you and do it safely.”

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Deion Sanders comes to son’s defense over ‘sandwich’ remark toward NFL reporter

Published

22 minutes ago

May 17, 2026

Addison Blake

Deion Sanders responded to Shilo Sanders’ “sandwich” comment toward NFL reporter Mary Kay Cabot on Friday.

The Colorado Buffaloes head coach was on an episode of “The Barbershop” when he spoke about it.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

“We don’t talk about nobody,” he said. “We don’t do nothing to nobody. I know Shilo had a little altercation that he spoke up for his brother. You’ve got to understand, man, that’s his brother.

“And God bless Mary Kay’s soul, that’s his brother. I mean, she said something, he said something, like media is different today. I know a lot of people don’t respect the old school. I do, because I grew up in that era that we didn’t have a say so. … But Shilo spoke up for his brother, and he was ridiculed for that.”

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Shilo Sanders, who was briefly on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster last year before he was cut, reacted to Cabot predicted that Deshaun Watson would enter training camp as the No. 1 quarterback on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart over Shedeur Sanders.

He said, “Go make me a sandwich, Mary.”

Shilo Sanders said he had an issue with Cabot giving her opinion over reporting facts.

“If you’re gonna be a reporter, then report facts. Whenever you have your opinion, and your opinion is always something hateful to Shedeur, then it seems like there’s something weird. Like there’s an agenda you have going on,” he said in a livestream earlier this month.

Fox News’ Jon Root contributed to this report.