Hormuz crisis ends old status quo, Azerbaijan's drone model reshapes warfare

September 5, 2026 at 10:24 PM2 min

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The deepening crisis in the Middle East and military-political tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have put the global security system to a new test. Arabist scholar Rafael Ibrahimov assesses that a return to the old status quo in the region is no longer possible. He highlights Azerbaijan's innovative drone warfare model as a key factor reshaping military balance.

Key Facts

Rafael Ibrahimov states that Iran can consider itself a winner in the Hormuz conflict because it did not lose outright.
The US has largely depleted its ammunition reserves amid operations in Ukraine, events in Palestine, and strikes on Iran.
Iran has prepared for such a scenario since 1978, with 27 to 30 fully autonomous underground military bases dug under mountains.
Military analysts estimate that invading Iran would require at least 500,000 troops, and even that contingent does not guarantee success.
Azerbaijan became the first country in the world to fully integrate UAVs with infantry, artillery, and tank units starting in 2020.

Hormuz Military Situation

Rafael Ibrahimov describes a de facto stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran can consider itself a winner because it did not lose outright in this conflict. The US has largely depleted its ammunition reserves amid military operations in Ukraine, tragic events in Palestine, and successive strikes on Iran. Almost all military bases in the region where Washington could deploy troops have been taken out of service. Iran's ballistic and hypersonic missiles leave US Navy aircraft carriers defenseless, forcing ships to stay away from the coast and aircraft to refuel in the air, creating double vulnerability.

Iran's Defense Infrastructure

Tehran has been preparing for such a scenario since 1978. Iran has dug 27 to 30 fully autonomous underground military bases under its mountains. Iran is a naturally impregnable fortress geologically. Military analysts estimate that invading Iran would require at least 500,000 troops, and even that contingent does not guarantee success. The US has never conducted a long-term ground war and is too sensitive to manpower losses to undertake such an operation.

Azerbaijan's Military Innovation

Foreign and Arab experts, as well as Pentagon specialists, regard Azerbaijan as a 21st-century warfare innovator. Azerbaijan became the first country in the world to fully integrate UAVs with infantry, artillery, and tank units starting in 2020. Azerbaijan synthesized tactical drones with ground operations to achieve a textbook victory. This model proved that UAV technology can equalize a militarily and economically weak country against great powers.