Iran's Geographical Advantages May Become a "Natural Fortress" for Defense

Reference News Network reported on March 18 An article published on March 12 by the Hong Kong Asia Times website, titled "Natural Fortress: How Geography Protects the Iranian Regime," authored by Luca Boam. The translation is as follows:

It is undeniable that Iran's strategic outlook is related to its terrain and topography. The Iranian plateau is a vast area surrounded by the Zagros Mountains and the Alborz Mountains. The Zagros Mountains extend along the western part of Iran, while the Alborz Mountains occupy the northern part of the country, essentially turning the nation into a fortress, making it difficult for any adversary to conduct a conventional ground invasion due to logistical challenges.

The vast plateau allows Tehran to disperse its military and nuclear infrastructure, enjoying a certain degree of strategic depth. Iran views its terrain and topography as a treasure to amplify its military power. Utilizing the depth and rugged terrain provided by the plateau, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has adopted an anti-access/area denial strategy.

This security architecture enables Tehran to challenge regional adversaries without provoking a full-scale war. Furthermore, this fortress mentality allows Tehran to project power through asymmetric means, such as using proxies and precision-guided systems, without being affected by retaliation from conventional ground invasions.

Iran has a southern coastline of approximately 1,120 miles (about 1,802 kilometers), which allows it to control the northern coast of the Strait of Hormuz. It is this geographical proximity that enables Iran to exert influence over one of the busiest maritime routes in the world through what is known as "smart control." Smart control is an integrated system network that encompasses multiple interconnected technological aspects:

Iran's "Hunter"-3G missile system, an improved version of its long-range air defense system, has a range of 150 kilometers. Its purpose is to create a mobile air defense umbrella to protect the naval fleet from airstrikes; Tehran has incorporated new drones into its smart control network, which can identify and strike aerial and maritime targets. This means Iran can monitor shipping and exert pressure on specific vessels while allowing neutral ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz; Iran has demonstrated the capability to launch cruise missiles simultaneously from inland launch sites and maritime platforms, ensuring that Tehran can continue to exert smart control over the strait even if one node is destroyed.

The implementation of smart control marks Iran's transition from indiscriminate blockades to a high-tech, proactive identification system.

In the current conflict, Iran has proven that despite significant losses to its naval fleet, it can still maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz through its smart control system. There are three main approaches:

Electronic Warfare: Maritime intelligence indicates that since March 1, over 1,100 vessels have suffered from high-intensity GPS signal spoofing. The signals of the vessels were manipulated to make them appear to be within Iranian territorial waters, providing Tehran with justification for seizures or strikes.

Additionally, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has employed deception tactics to conceal its fast attack boats, making it nearly impossible for commercial tankers to know where the threat will emerge until an attack is imminent.

Hard Strikes: With the implementation of the smart control strategy, Iran does not need to strike all vessels, only specific ones. In early March, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used drones to attack a tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and another transport vessel.

Integrated Air Defense: Iran has incorporated newly developed air defense systems into its defense architecture, creating an overlapping air defense network. This forces U.S. and Israeli jet fighters to maintain high-altitude flight, diminishing their ability to identify and destroy Iranian coastal small drone launchers.

The effect of Iran's smart control measures is that even with its conventional naval power diminished, it can still achieve effective maritime blockades through economic attrition. (Translation by Pan Xiaoyan)