In BriefGulf countries have invested in alternatives long before the Hormuz blockade. Some play key roles in oil supply as the war drags on.In the four weeks since the Middle East broke out and Iran blocked oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Australia has been grappling with fuel price spikes amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.With the hugely important route closed, many have been asking if there's any alternate way oil can move around the world instead.On Monday, the chief executive of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, told the National Press Club in Canberra that the war in…