The concept of “corridor wars” describes intensifying competition among major powers over critical trade, energy, and transit routes in an era of weaponized interdependence. Unlike traditional territorial conflicts, these struggles center on controlling, securing, bypassing, or disrupting chokepoints: narrow maritime passages and overland links through which global commerce flows. Key arenas include …
Read More »A remote bridge shows how US-Iran war is expanding
A reported US strike on a railway bridge in northern Iran has drawn attention to a lesser-known front in the widening conflict: the battle over the transport corridors linking Iran to Central Asia, Russia and China. Iranian state media and the IRGC said cruise missiles attributed to US forces struck …
Read More »NATO 3.0 and energy security: Rebalancing transatlantic defence in Ankara
The 2026 NATO Summit opens today, 7th July, in Ankara, at a critical moment for the Alliance as Russia’s war in Ukraine, pressure on European defense systems, and the U.S. strategic pivot toward the Indo-Pacific intensify debates over transatlantic burden-sharing. The emerging “NATO 3.0” framework would shift greater responsibility for conventional defense, …
Read More »Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor: A new era for Iran-Europe trade or just another risk?
In 2016, Iran proposed a regional initiative to develop the Persian Gulf-Black Sea International Transport and Transit Corridor (ITC), which would include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece. This multi-modal corridor will begin in Iran at Bandar Abbas, head north through the country, and continue into Armenia or Azerbaijan, connecting four key …
Read More »Geopolitical Rivalries in the South Caucasus: Evaluating the Aras Corridor as an Alternative to Zangezur
Rival transit corridor projects have centered on the South Caucasus as it becomes more and more important in connecting Europe and Asia. These corridors serve as hubs for international trade integration, regional stability, and economic progress in addition to being routes for transit. The Zangezur Corridor is unique among these …
Read More »Charting a Course: Türkiye’s Ambitious Plan for Middle Corridor Trade Expansion
Dr. Umud Shokri,Dr. Serhat Suha Cubukcuoglu,Sultan AlRubaei Amidst rising tensions and disruptions to maritime trade along the Mediterranean-Indian Ocean route, another trade corridor that roughly coincides with the ancient Silk Road has once again heightened in importance: The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is …
Read More »North-South Transport Corridor: Iran-Russia New Railway to Circumvent Western Pressure
The construction of the International North-South Transport Corridor is another way for Iran and Russia to circumvent Western sanctions and lower trade cost while increasing its volume. After the United States and the European Union imposed extensive sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, …
Read More »Iran-Iraq competition in regional maritime and overland transit corridors
In recent years, Iraq has become one of the leading destinations for Chinese investments in the Middle East and a crucial link in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). To capitalize on its geostrategic location and central position within the Chinese BRI, Iraq is seeking to develop a sprawling new 54-square-kilometer port …
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