Russia Uses Caspian Sea to Supply Iran With Drone Parts

The Caspian Sea has become a strategic wartime trade corridor, with Russia sending drone components to Iran across its waters, according to a report by the New York Times. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that this long-overlooked trade route is helping Tehran rebuild its military capabilities.

If shipments from Russia continue at their current pace, the officials said, Iran could rapidly rebuild its drone arsenal. They estimate that Tehran has lost roughly 60 percent of its drone stockpile since the war began on February 28.

A Vital Waterway for War Trade

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water. Its southern coast stretches more than 700 kilometers across northern Iran, forming a bridge between the two countries, which share no direct land border but both have extensive coastlines along the sea, allowing them to trade freely.

Russia is sending goods that would normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the war began and blockaded by the US Navy for weeks. These shipments include grain, animal feed, and some basic foodstuffs.

Bypassing Western Sanctions

The Caspian Sea is believed to be one of the main routes Russia and Iran use to circumvent Western sanctions. Reports indicate that the sanctioned state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines regularly operates voyages from the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian coast.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Moscow is supplying Tehran with satellite imagery and modified drone technology to support its targeting of US forces in the region. Russia is also providing spare parts to modify Shahed drones, enhancing their communications, navigation, and targeting capabilities. Moscow has repeatedly denied these reports.