The New York Times reported that the Caspian Sea, long overlooked in geopolitical calculations, has become an increasingly important strategic corridor between Russia and Iran, used to move commercial goods and military components that help Tehran withstand U.S. military and economic pressure.
Details
* The newspaper said the Caspian’s importance has grown after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports, pushing Tehran to rely on alternative routes for essential goods.
* It cited U.S. officials as saying Russia is sending drone components to Iran through the Caspian in an effort to help Tehran recover after losing roughly 60% of its drone arsenal during the latest fighting.
* It reported that Iran’s four Caspian ports are working intensively to bring in wheat, corn, animal feed, sunflower oil and other goods.
* Russian port data and trade officials showed a rapid increase in Caspian shipping, including the rerouting of about 2 million tons of Russian wheat annually from the Black Sea route to the Caspian route toward Iran.
* The newspaper noted that part of the trade through the Caspian remains opaque, especially as ships traveling between Russian and Iranian ports switch off their tracking devices, making the movement harder to monitor from outside.
* It explained that the United States cannot interdict ships in the Caspian as it does in the Gulf because the sea is enclosed and accessible only through Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
* The paper said the defense relationship between Moscow and Tehran has in recent years included Iranian drones being sent to Russia for use in Ukraine, before Moscow began producing its own versions of Shahed drones under Iranian license.
* It reported that Israel struck Iran’s naval command center in Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea in March, a strike that reflected Israel’s awareness of the route’s importance in supporting Iran.
* Experts believe the Caspian offers an ideal space for sanctions evasion and military transfers, but it cannot fully replace Iran’s previous trade through the Strait of Hormuz, especially oil exports that make up a major share of Tehran’s revenue.
What’s next?
Washington and Tel Aviv will continue to face a tough challenge: the Caspian route gives Iran and Russia room to maneuver that cannot be easily disrupted militarily, but it remains limited compared with the Strait of Hormuz.
That means Western pressure could shift toward maritime sanctions, tracking companies and vessels, and targeting transport networks linked to Russian and Iranian ports rather than direct interdiction.
