... those of any adversary the United States has confronted directly in recent decades. It is a large, resilient state with deep strategic depth and a capacity to inflict serious disruption on global trade and energy flows.
This last point is critical. Iran’s geographic position gives it leverage that few countries possess. Even limited escalation could threaten shipping routes and economic stability far beyond the Middle East, directly affecting the interests of the United States and its allies. That reality alone complicates any attempt at a quick, clean victory.
Moreover, the political context is very different from past US interventions. The current display ...
The Hormuz crisis is not merely a regional conflict but a case study in the limits of conventional military power
The escalating conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States has directly impacted the security dynamics of the Strait of Hormuz. The geography of strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz makes it both a vulnerability and a geopolitical leverage. The strait is deep and wide enough ...
... of Global Alignment
Tehran’s decision to direct the main wave of its retaliatory strikes at the UAE during the first week of the 2026 conflict was driven precisely by its perception of this Gulf state as a key conduit for Israeli interests in the Middle East. This was
stated
unequivocally by former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who expressed the view that “the UAE and Israel are one and the same.”
The first week of the 2026 conflict with Iran demonstrated that the UAE continues to operate in close alignment with Israel, despite ...
... several interrelated factors:
1. Lack of Clear Justification
Many governments remain unconvinced by the rationale for war. Without a widely accepted casus belli, support becomes politically and diplomatically costly.
2. Fear of Regional Escalation
The Middle East is already a volatile region. A full-scale conflict involving Iran risks drawing in multiple actors, including non-state groups, potentially leading to a wider wars.
3. Economic Considerations
Global economies are deeply interconnected. Disruptions in the Gulf can impact oil prices, trade routes, and financial markets,...
Even if Israel and the Trump administration entered the battle against Iran together, there is probably a difference in their perspectives on the goals of the current conflict
This wave of escalation would be distinct from its predecessors in 2024 and 2025, as was evident from the early hours of the joined American and ...
... stable position no matter how the situation develops. But ending the conflict is more beneficial for India than continuing it.
Russia
The results of the first round of the campaign are likely to be beneficial to Moscow. The US focus has shifted to the Middle East, and with it, so have its resources. Iran is withstanding the onslaught. Oil and gas prices have soared. Russia’s income may increase, which is important for maintaining macroeconomic stability. Energy shortages provide Russia with political leverage. The prospect of major buyers from ...
On January 21, 2026, a roundtable discussion titled “The Situation in the Middle East: Risks of Military Escalation Around Iran” was held at the Izvestia Multimedia Information Center
On January 21, 2026, a roundtable discussion titled “The Situation in the Middle East: Risks of Military Escalation Around Iran” was held at the Izvestia Multimedia Information Center....
On January 21, 2026, a roundtable discussion titled “The Situation in the Middle East: Risks of Military Escalation Around Iran” was held at the Izvestia Multimedia Information Center
On January 21, 2026, a roundtable discussion titled “The Situation in the Middle East: Risks of Military Escalation Around Iran” was held at the Izvestia Multimedia Information Center....
... the global landscape is the transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world. The United States no longer operates in an uncontested strategic environment.
Russia and China have both deepened their political, economic, and diplomatic engagement in the Middle East. Iran occupies a critical position in this evolving order. Any attack on Iran would not occur in isolation; it would reverberate through great-power politics.
While neither Moscow nor Beijing may seek direct military confrontation with the United States,...
... Yemeni Houthis
[4]
. In their view, the construct itself contributed far more to the development of Sana’a’s relations with Iran and the “Axis of Resistance” during the years of the armed conflict than did any a priori assumption that the movement ... ... the roots of Houthism lie both in Yemen’s history and traditions and in the bleak contemporary political situation in the Middle East following the attacks of September 11, a situation which—according to Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi and his successor,...
