Arjun Singh
Since the outbreak of the Iran War, most international attention has focused on the Persian Gulf, specifically the Strait of Hormuz, through which, in normal times, nearly 25 percent of the world’s oil and 20 percent of the world’s natural gas flow. The double Iranian and US naval blockade has choked maritime traffic and precipitated a global energy crisis.
Yet, the gulf and its strait are not the only bodies of water that war has placed in jeopardy. On its northern edge, Iran borders the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water. At 143,000 square miles, it’s as large as the Black Sea in Europe, and along its coast, it hosts the regional powers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. Maritime trade and oil pipelines have, for years, crossed the Caspian between Europe and Asia, making it a prime venue for commerce.
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