The US-Israeli war on Iran has backfired strategically — instead of isolating Tehran, it's supercharged Iran's overland trade networks. Iraq now routes cargo directly into Iran, China runs freight trains every few days instead of weekly, and the Sarakhs Economic Zone just launched with 10 million tonnes of annual capacity. A blockade that can't stop land bridges and rail corridors isn't a blockade at all.
Iran's so-called resilience is a threat to every nation that depends on stable energy markets. Iranian-backed militias already struck the UAE's Barakah nuclear plant, and Tehran has launched nearly 5,000 missiles and drones at Gulf states. The UAE's new Fujairah pipeline — already 50% done and on track for 2027 — is exactly the kind of infrastructure the region needs to neutralize Iran's chokehold on Hormuz for good.
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