There is the Qatar-Turkey pipeline project. The US had to take down Syria for it, which they did. If Qatar hurries, they can make their losses back big time. Qatar doesn't need the strait.

Qatar pipeline go boom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyranger_30

Drones go boom.

You'll need a lot of those to protect a pipeline.

Let that be a lesson to any country who thinks they can cut a deal with the Corrupt Pedophile-in-Chief. He won't even remember the promises five minutes after he leaves the room, and he WILL fuck you over.

It’ll take a crazy number as a pipeline would be easily damaged by a VERY small (consumer size) drone.

1800km. With a radius of 3km, 300 would be needed.

That would cost about €5 billion.

https://suv.report/bundeswehr-will-500-bis-600-skyranger-30-fuer-6-bis-8-mrd-euro-beschaffen/

I would assume that's reasonable.
Germany alone imports gas for €2 billion per month. Historically gas was half as expensive. So the system could pay off after a year. Including all of Europe, and reactivating old industry processes, that could be half a year or a quarter.

https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Foreign-Trade/Tables/natural-gas-monthly.html

Taking you at your word for this, let's say Germany spends the 5 billion to send 300 of those to guard the pipeline. What good is that should Iran decide to use it's IRBM stock or hypersonics like the Fattah 1? Drones are only 1 part of Iran's offensive capability.

It's gas, so leaks are not a disaster. If they build the pipeline in segments, and several in parallel, then they can handle hits. 1 km pipeline can be rebuilt in a day.

Fattah 1 is a problem. It's supposed to cost $200,000. That's 5,000 for a billion. I guess I was wrong and Qatar has a problem.

Can these things hit 100 or 1000 swarming micro drones? I really don’t know, but would bet that it’s got a limited amount of tracking and fire-rate. At say $1000 per drone including a couple pounds of high explosive charge, I doubt a single one of these can guard any zone.

200 rds per minute single shot rate, 1200 burst rate.

So firing takes 1/20 second, which leaves the rest of 1/3 second to aim at the next target.
I don't know if that is realistic.

If the drones fly 360km/h that leaves 60 seconds to take them down. (https://3dprinting.com/news/chinese-students-custom-3d-printed-drone-sets-new-speed-record/)

There is an additional rocket launcher with 60 missiles.

So alltogether handling 100 drones should be possible.