Finally, the Middle Corridor requires security and stability in the Caspian Sea. In the context of Caspian Sea security, two unfolding developments will shape the balance of power and the overall stability of the region in the coming years and decades. One photo confirmed that one corvette and two missile boats were struck, amounting to roughly half of Iran’s warships and vessels in the Caspian Sea. According to satellite imagery and NASA’s Global Water Monitor, Caspian water levels have been dropping since the mid-1990s. This could also complicate Russia’s use of the Volga-Don Canal, cutting off Russia’s direct connection between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.