Geography favours Iran The Excelsior 22 Jun 2026

https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/geography-favours-iran/

Geography favours Iran The Excelsior 22 Jun 2026

          US and Israel air strikes on Iran did cause damage to Iran’s military sites as also its research facilities. However, they failed to break Iran’s resolve nor did they push it to surrender. Talks are in progress and Iran is no longer bargaining from a position of weakness but one of resilience as the ceasefire gave it time to re-open its underground shelters where its missiles and drones were stored, damaged by the airstrikes. Iran’s geostrategic location as also its geography played to its advantage.

Iran is a large nation, about half the size of India. It is also mountainous, which benefits it during war but at the same time, terrain cum rainfall deficit restrict land available for agriculture to 12%. It imports majority of its food grains. Iran is also rich in oil and gas.

Iran studied previous US conflicts and was prepared. To counter US and Israeli air power, it spent years creating bases deep within mountains protected by strong rocks and hidden tunnels that restrict bomb damage while protecting its military assets. These underground cities are spread across the country, which is why, despite US and Israel bombings, its missile and drone arsenals remained partially undamaged. As per CNN, almost 80% of tunnel entrances were hit in initial strikes, most of which have since been re-opened.  

Iran is bordered by Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, all Islamic nations. UAE, Qatar and Oman are located across the Persian Gulf and are within striking range, an aspect exploited by Iran. Iran has two coastlines, one with the Caspian Sea and the other along the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf ‎and Gulf of Oman cover a distance of about 2000 Kms.

Being a large nation with mountainous terrain, land operations by any expeditionary force is not an option. An attack by the Kurds based in Iraq, backed by US-Israel combine, could have been a threat, as the Northern Alliance was to the Taliban in Afghanistan, and hence Iran eliminated this at the commencement of the conflict by targeting Kurds on both sides of the border. Thus, the only option available to the US and Israel from the commencement of the conflict was exploiting its airpower superiority. 

 Iran’s location, at the crossroads of the Middle East (an oil and gas producing region) and the Straits of Hormuz, enables it to target critical infrastructure in the Middle East as also US bases in the region. Almost all Gulf Cooperation Council countries, less Oman, were hit. The intent was to pressure them into forcing the US and Israel to back down and engage in dialogue. It appears to have worked. Iran, in a period of just 48 hours, hit 16 US bases in eight different countries, destroying radars, critical equipment and parked aircraft. The estimated cost of repairing them and replacing damaged radars would be around 50 billion dollars. 

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel, approximately 39-40 Kms wide at the narrowest point, which lies between the Omani Musandam Peninsula and Iran. It is the sole maritime exit for about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products per day. There are no alternatives to this strait. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is deep and has almost no maritime hazards. It contains a number of islands, most of which are controlled by Iran.

Iran’s coastline and island chain enable deployment of small boats, missiles, and mining capabilities to threaten shipping in the Straits. Threats flowed by warning of missile strikes or placing mines. Small boats with missiles can prevent movement of commercial vessels. Naval vessels attempting to transit the straits would find themselves at a disadvantage as drones or missiles launched from the coast or fast boats can cause damage. Iran does not have to venture out and seek targets; they would automatically present themselves.

Geography also has disadvantages. The Hormuz Straits are Iran’s major weakness. Almost 90% of Iran’s oil exports, which is more than 80% of its total exports as also most of its imports, transit through the straits. Kharg Island is an important oil export hub and presents a lucrative target, which the US continues to threaten to capture. A naval blockade, as adopted by the US, could cripple Iran’s economy in the long-term. Majority of Iran’s oil and gas wealth is concentrated in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, a flat region, making it vulnerable to targeting by air or even occupation in any conflict.  

A major benefit to Iran is its coastline along the Caspian Sea. The US cannot block this inland waterway because as per the 2018 convention only five littoral states, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have jurisdiction over it. Foreign militaries are banned. Russia, using the Caspian Sea, sent in components for rebuilding Iran’s drone fleets, expended during the war. It also sent wheat, corn, animal feed, and sunflower oil through the same route.  

Iran’s northern ports, Bandar-e Anzali and Amirabad, are its gateway to the Caspian Sea. Commercial goods, oil and critical minerals are moved to Russia and other Central Asian nations through these ports. The Caspian Sea is also a secure northern barrier for Iran. It is reported that the sea bed has vast reserves of oil and gas which have yet to be tapped. It is also a part of the INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor). This is the same corridor which India is seeking to exploit through the Chabahar Port into Central Asia.

Israeli air strikes, at the commencement of the conflict, did target Iran’s Caspian Sea fleet as also the Bandar-e Anzali port. Russia criticized the strikes claiming the Caspian Sea must remain a zone of ‘peace and cooperation.’ However, Russian supplies continued to move, albeit in reduced quantities. In case the Caspian Sea route is blocked due to air strikes, Iran has the option of utilizing the Baku port of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea and a land move across the border. Both are Shia nations.

Iran is aware that its geography would place restrictions on any adversary, while being largely favourable to it. It has exploited advantages which accrued to the maximum in the recent conflict. However, a prolonged blockade has the potential of forcing it to bend.