Iran Struggles to Shift Trade Routes as Land Alternatives Hit Bottlenecks

For generations, the Strait of Hormuz was Iran's gateway to the world — a narrow passage that carried both its commerce and its geopolitical weight. Now, with American sanctions closing that maritime corridor, Tehran has turned to the ancient logic of overland trade, only to discover that maps are far more forgiving than roads. The story unfolding across Iran's land borders in the autumn of 2026 is not one of dramatic confrontation but of quiet, grinding attrition — a nation learning that leverage, once lost, is not easily replaced.