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Road to IMEC: Haifa positions itself as vital regional hub for the Mediterranean

Interview with Frank Melloul
i24news
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i24News, 10.08.2026

Global trade routes are increasingly becoming tools of political pressure, with strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz exposing just how vulnerable the world economy is. That is renewing attention on IMEC – a proposed trade corridor connecting India to Europe through the Middle East, with Israel as a potential gateway to the Mediterranean. But with Saudi Arabia now strengthening ties with Turkey and Pakistan, how realistic is that vision – and where does that leave Israel’s role?





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Picture of Frank Melloul

Frank Melloul

Frank Melloul is a former French diplomat and international relations specialist who has held senior roles in France’s Foreign Ministry, advising on strategic affairs, crisis management, and Middle Eastern diplomacy. He also served as an adviser to the French Prime Minister before moving into media, helping to launch France 24 and holding leadership positions at France Medias Monde. Since 2012, Melloul has led i24NEWS, expanding it into a multilingual global network and launching Israel’s first 24/7 Hebrew news channel. In 2025, he became Chairman of i24NEWS.

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A naval frigate in the Strait of Hormuz, August 2026. Photo credit: Shutterstock.

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