It seems that transiting the Strait of Hormuz will continue to be risky for international shipping, at least as long as the current regime in Iran stays in power. What would be the cost and technical difficulty of digging a sea level canal through the Oman peninsula? The obvious benefit would be that it would create a shipping lane farther away from Iran and more defensible against Iranian disruption, especially if a permanent military installation was located nearby.
What do you think of this idea?