The United States and Russia Show Diverging Reactions to Drone Strike on Azerbaijan

The probability of a ground operation against Iran is increasing as Tehran continues missile and drone strikes on Israel despite sustained aerial bombardment by the United States and Israeli forces, raising concerns among Western and regional policymakers.

Why was such a powerful strike against Iran launched именно now, accompanied by demands for capitulation? In principle, this could have been done earlier. Iran has never represented a sufficiently significant military force for Washington to fear taking such a step.

The United States is considering the option of seizing Iranian ports and deploying troops on small islands in the Persian Gulf in order to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported on March 22 by NBC News, citing military sources.

As missiles struck some of the most critical oil and gas facilities in the Persian Gulf, sending shockwaves through global energy markets, Azerbaijan found itself aligned — not militarily, but politically — with a broad group of Arab and Muslim-majority nations calling for restraint.