Opinion: How Iran and Ukraine are strategically sinking their rivals at sea

The Iran war may be fought primarily remotely via the air, but its strategic outcome is increasingly being decided at sea. The latest strikes and counterstrikes have clarified rather than altered that central fact. Washington may escalate through a ground intervention, wider attacks on Iran’s critical infrastructure, or a strike against the deeply buried nuclear-linked complex at Pickaxe Mountain in Isfahan province. Each option could inflict further damage and expand the war. None, however, is likely to eliminate Iran’s distributed maritime architecture or make the Strait of Hormuz strategically irrelevant. Read more: How Iran and Ukraine are strategically sinking their rivals at sea Opinion by Omar Ashour Images released by Ukrainian authorities in November 2025 show what they say are sea drone attacks on oil tankers in the Black Sea (Security Service of Ukraine/AFP)