The United Arab Emirates said it was aiming to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz to “zero” after the war with Iran laid bare the vulnerabilities of the key waterway.

After the launch of Operation Epic Fury, Iran immediately moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, attacking shipping with drones and missiles, which caused shipping companies to halt nearly all transit through the waterway. Efforts over the next three and a half months failed to reopen the strait, triggering a global energy crisis and major economic damage to the UAE and the other Gulf states. The UAE announced plans to expand overland routes for oil and natural gas to bypass the strait during the war, but on Wednesday, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi told Bloomberg that it was moving to expand these routes to completely eliminate its reliance on the strait.