Can Iran shift trade north to Caspian Sea as war impairs Strait of Hormuz?

Tehran, Iran – With Iran’s southern ports subject to a United States naval blockade, Tehran is looking for alternatives to export oil and import goods. The Caspian Sea on Iran’s northern coast is seen as one portal for Iran to the outside world.Recent efforts at the United Nations to end the deadlock between Iran and the US appear to have failed as US President Donald Trump said Tehran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was unacceptable.With no breakthrough in sight on ending the war launched by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28, Tehran is making adjustments to export oil and import essential goods. But maritime trade via the Caspian Sea has its own logistical challenges, experts said.Caspian challengesThe Caspian Sea, the world’s largest landlocked body of water, is shared by Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Shipping on the sea has been increasingly challenged by declining water levels in recent years.In April, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen said Caspian water levels had dropped by about 2 metres (6.6ft) since the 1990s. Sea levels are projected to recede by an additional 8 to 21 metres (26ft to 69ft) by the end of the c...