Russia sending Iran drone parts via Caspian Sea, bypassing Hormuz blockade – NYT

Russia is sending drone components to Iran via Caspian Sea shipping, US officials tell the New York Times, turning the world’s largest lake into a key conduit for both covert and overt trade.

According to the sources, who spoke to the American outlet on condition of anonymity, the long-overlooked trade corridor is helping Iran rebuild its military capabilities in the wake of the US-Israeli bombing campaign that ended last month.

If shipments from Russia continue at their pace, Iran could quickly restock its drone arsenal, US officials say, some 60 percent of which was lost during the recent war.

The Caspian Sea acts as a bridge, connecting the two countries which do not share a border but both have long coastlines on the massive inland sea. It allows Russia and Iran to trade openly, without fear of interdiction by US or other countries for evading sanctions, the report says.

According to the report, Russia is sending goods that would normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded for weeks now by both the US and Iran. Goods transiting the Caspian Sea include grains, animal feed, sunflower oil and other staple products.

“If you’re thinking about the ideal place for sanction evasion and military transfers, it’s the Caspian,” says expert Nicole Grajewski, a professor at Paris’ Sciences Po.

“For American policymakers, the Caspian is a geopolitical black hole; it’s almost like it doesn’t exist,” says Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank.