In the midst of a broad regional conflict in the Middle East, it becomes clear again how sensitive the global economy is to what happens in the region’s energy routes. Even a disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is enough to shake global energy markets. This narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman is one of the most critical chokepoints in the global energy system. About 20% of the world’s oil consumption and around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade pass through it.

But energy is only part of the story. In the reality of the 21st century, it is also the foundation of water and food systems on which the economic and social stability of entire regions depends.

This moment should lead to a deeper question: is the problem only the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz, or the fact that the global economy is still built in a way that one sea passage in the Middle East can destabilize it? To understand this, we need to go back fifty years. In 1973, following the Yom Kippur War, the world learned how dependent it was on energy from the Middle East. The Arab oil embargo led to a sharp rise in energy prices and a global economic shock.

Since then, countries have focused on one mission: to ensure that oil continues to flow. Emergency oil reserves were established, shipping routes were protected, and international cooperation aimed to stabilize energy supply. For decades, this was the main concept of energy security.

But the reality of the 21st century is different. The energy system no longer faces only one challenge. Alongside geopolitical tensions, climate change is increasing pressure on water and food systems, especially in hot and dry regions like the Middle East. Temperatures are rising, heatwaves are becoming longer, and natural water sources are shrinking.

In this reality, dependence on energy only grows. Many countries in the region rely on desalination facilities to supply water to their populations. Seawater desalination, water pumping, transport, and wastewater treatment are energy-intensive processes. When energy prices rise, the cost of water rises as well.

The food system is also dependent on energy at almost every stage of the value chain. Fertilizer production is largely based on natural gas, and modern agriculture requires energy for irrigation, operating equipment, food processing, cooling, and transportation.

In other words, energy, water, and food are not separate sectors. They are one system of basic security.

Here lies the needed paradigm shift. The strategic question of the 21st century is not how to protect the Strait of Hormuz, but how to make it less critical.

In the Middle East, the connection between energy, water, and food is especially clear. Water scarcity, high temperatures, and dependence on food imports are already a regional reality.

Of course, in a time of war and deep regional tension, ideas of regional cooperation may sound naive. Trust between countries in the region is low, and political tensions are deep. But history shows that even regions of ongoing conflict sometimes develop shared interests around essential resources. Energy, water, and food are exactly such resources.

For the Gulf countries, such a change is not necessarily a threat but an opportunity. Their economies still depend heavily on oil and gas, but many of them have been investing in recent years in diversifying their energy sources and economies. Large investments in solar energy, water technologies, and food systems aim to strengthen economic stability and regional resilience.

Instead of looking at energy, water, and food as three separate sectors, they can be seen as an integrated regional system. The Gulf countries bring capital and investment. Israel brings technological innovation in water, agriculture, and energy. Other countries in the region bring land, solar resources, and markets.

Such integration can create a new regional system. Solar energy from deserts can power desalination facilities, advanced water technologies can enable climate-resilient agriculture, and regional electricity grids can strengthen the energy stability of the entire region.

Instead of a system based on dependence on one vulnerable energy route, it is possible to build a decentralized regional system of energy, water, and food that strengthens stability for all.

Fifty years after the 1973 oil crisis, it is clear that the problem is no longer only supply security, but the structure of the system itself. As long as the global economy relies on chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, it will remain vulnerable.

The regional initiative IMEC, which aims to connect India, the Gulf countries, Israel, and Europe through trade and infrastructure corridors, points to another direction. Parts of this route are already operating in practice, and goods are already flowing through it today. This is an initial foundation on which the next stage can be built: connecting energy, water, and food into an integrated regional system.

This mission is not only for governments and national infrastructure. It is also a defining moment for the climate technology and innovation community. At a time when the global system’s vulnerability to fossil fuel dependence and chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz is becoming clearer, the need is to move faster from pilot projects to large scale implementation. As noted, energy is not a standalone sector. It is deeply connected to water and food systems that underpin economic and social stability. Renewable energy, storage, energy efficiency, smart grids, and integrated energy, water, and food solutions are no longer a future vision. They are the foundation of energy security and economic resilience. For entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies, this is a window of opportunity to lead a systemic shift that reduces geopolitical risks, strengthens energy independence, and creates new economic value. Those who act now will not only contribute to global stability, but will also be at the forefront of the 21st century economy.

This does not require regional peace, but a regional interest. The Strait of Hormuz is not only a Middle Eastern problem. It is a weak point of the global economy. And the real challenge of the 21st century is not to protect it, but to make it irrelevant.