MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. Russia needs to create a railway route to the Indian Ocean to reduce risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said in an interview with TASS.

"A rail link to the Indian Ocean should also be explored. Risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz might require alternative routes: through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Any options providing access to India are acceptable," he said.

Russia’s construction industry currently demands long-term financing, the official added.

"The construction industry is already capable of handling an additional one trillion rubles annually. However, if such a volume is secured for the next five years, it would be possible to expand capacity and build even more," he said.

Amid the conflict between the US and Iran, problems emerged regarding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. On February 28, the US and Israel initiated a war against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, came under attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (an elite branch of the Iranian armed forces) announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, targeting Israel and US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Iranian authorities have decided to block the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the United States, Israel, and countries that supported the aggression against the Islamic Republic. Roughly 25% of global oil trade and about 20% of LNG shipments transit through the Strait of Hormuz.