Even before 2026, the IRGC was already becoming stronger at the expense of other entities within the Iranian power structure, such as the clerisy. The Turkish Straits, the Oresund, and other waterways were forced open to shipping and commerce during the 19th and early 20th centuries by the British Empire and the United States. In 1841, the London Straits Convention barred all warships from the Bosphorus, benefiting British naval power at Russia’s expense. A world order enforced by the United States was morally unpalatable for many people on the American left. If I were one of Russia’s enemies, I would be seriously contemplating the old significance of the Oresund and the Turkish Straits.