The Caspian Is No Longer a Rear Area as Wars Over Ukraine and Iran Reach the Shores of Five States

Can Azerbaijan expand trade with Russia while complying with western restrictions? On a map, the International North–South Transport Corridor appears to be an almost straight line connecting Russian ports, Azerbaijan, Iran and the Indian Ocean. In...

The Caspian Sea Day, conceived as an environmental observance, unfolded in 2026 against a backdrop of attacks on ports and ships. Iran urged its neighbors to condemn the strikes, but the five coastal states have so far avoided a collective response....

The level of the Caspian Sea is falling faster than ports, coastal cities, oil and gas infrastructure and environmental protection systems can adapt. Over the past five years, the sea has lost about one metre; over ten years, approximately 1.5...

The Caspian Sea, long regarded as an area relatively insulated from major international conflicts, is rapidly becoming a zone where military, energy and transport interests intersect. Russia retains a dominant position through the numerical strength...