Why Nearly Impossible To Conquer Iran: Geography, History, And Military Strategy

Why is it impossible to conquer Iran?

The whole world's eyes are currently fixed on the Middle East. After Israel turned its attention towards Lebanon following Gaza, people started raising questions about Iran.Iran responded to these questions by launching nearly 200 missiles, sending a clear message to the world that it is ready to confront Israel's Zionist government. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for the first time in four years, called upon lslamic nations to unite during the Friday prayers. He also justified Iran's ballistic missile attacks on Israel.

A large crowd had gathered at the Mosalla Mosque

A large crowd had gathered at the Mosalla Mosque to listen to Khamenei as he delivered this address: He began his speech by paying tribute to Hezbollah's top leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, This is significant because the last time Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed Friday prayers was in 2020, following the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. Before that, his last such address was in 2012. Khamenei further stated that if necessary, Iran would take similar actions against Israel as before, making it clear that Iran has no intention of backing down.

Now, a question arises in everyone's mind-can Iran really stand up to Israel, especially when powerful countries like the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France are allied with Israel?

Which you might not have heard much about. So let’s explore the five factors that make defeating Iran nearly impossible. The first point is exactly what I mentioned earlier-lran’s geography. Friends, in the west of lran lies the Zagros Mountain Range, which protects its western regions. Climbing these mountains and setting up militar bases there is extremely difficult. The terrain is so challenging that it’s tough for enemy forces to bring large numbers of soldiers here This mountain range acts as a natural defense for Iran.

On the other side of it are countries like lraq, from where Saddam Hussein’s army once tried to attack Iran, only to face defeat. Similarly, in the north are the Alborz Mountains, which protect Iran from the Caspian Sea region. These mountains also safeguard Iran’s capital, Tehran, and are home to the highest peak in the Middle East, Mount Damavand, In the northeast, there is the Kuh-e-Binalud Mountain, which shields Iran from the Central Asian territories. Keep in mind, these are not like the mountains of Kashmir or Himachal Pradesh; these are Middle Eastern mountains,where climbing and surviving are extremely difficult.

Similarly, in central lran lies the Dasht-e Kavir, one of the most inhospitable deserts in the world There is no water, no food, and the intense heat is overwhelming. Even if an army manages to reach deserts like Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, the greatest challenge will be survival itself, as was the case with the Mongols and Alexander. While they did manage to conquer some areas, they couldn’t sustain their presence in Iran for long.

Looking towards the south Iran controls the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, areas that are critical for global oil transport. Iran could easily choke these routes and halt the supply of oil to many parts of the world.

Regions like Khuzestan and Shatt al-Arab are also closely monitored by Iran, so it doesn’t need to worry too much about external invaders.

Now, some might think that in today’s world of missiles and drones, who would need to deploy ground troops?

But groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and even Israel understand the importance of ground defenses, which is why they have built extensive tunnel networks in their territories. Iran, too, has an enormous tunnel network, making it nearly impossible for any country to win without a ground invasion.

This is why geography is so crucial for military strategy. We’ve now seen how launching a ground offensive in Iran would be extremely difficult for any nation.

The second point is Iran’s strong history and its proxy armies: Friends, the land of Iran has witnessed many wars lts history is culturally, politically, and religiously rich. Iran’s past is complex and long, as it has been the center point for some of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Iran was conquered by Arab Muslim forces.

Iran was once known as Persia In the 7th century, was conquered by Arab Muslim forces, marking the end of the Sassanid Empire and the beginning of Islamic rule in Persia Over time, due to social, economic, and political pressures, the local Zoroastrian population began converting to Islam. Before the arrival of islam, the people of Persia worshiped the god of Zoroastrianism. Many Zoroastrians who refused to convert migrated to regions in India, particularly Gujarat and Maharashtra. Even today, many Parsi families can be found in Mumbai. From the 7th to the 9th century.

Sunni islam spread in Iran, but in the 16th century.

Sunni islam spread in Iran, but in the 16th century, during the Safavid dynasty, Shia Islam was declared the state religion. Since then, Iran has been known as a Shia-majority country. Now, you might be wondering how the Arabs managed to conquer lran if it was so difficult to defeat, considering the deserts, mountains, and seas were present even then. The key here is understanding that, at that time, the Sassanid Empire was struggling with many internal issues There were frequent wars, and rulers were constantly changing.

They had just finished a 26-year-long war with the Byzantine Empire, leaving the Sassanids extremely weak. It is said that in some regions, there wasn’t even anyone left to fight the Arab forces. Compared to the Persian forces, the Arab arm was much stronger and full of zeal, which is why they easily conquered Persia. But today, things are different. Iran now stands alone, opposing and fighting against even the United States. In the 1930s, Iran’s ruler Reza Shah b egan modernizing the country, but unlike Turkey’s Kemal Atatürk,

Iran's ruler Reza Shah began modernizing the country.

He wasn't as successful. Reza Shah focused on strengthening the military and promoting education to reduce the influence of religion as per US instructions to get full access to their natural resources. America is always playing with double standards policies. Any way many people were imprisoned or exiled, including Ayatollah Khomeini, who was first sent to Iraq, then to Istanbul, and later to Paris. In 1979, under Ayatollah Khomeini's leadership, the Islamic Revolution took place, toppling the U.S.-backed Reza Shah and transforming Iran into an Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khomeini became the Supreme Leader. After this revolution, Iran adopted Islamic law and significantly reduced its ties with the West.

This revolution marked a significant turning point in Iran’s history, establishing the country as a religious state Since then, Iran has been continuously strengthening its influence in the Middle East. Despite numerous sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States, Iran has not retreated; instead, it has expanded its influence through proxy armies. This historical legacy of lran has led to a situation where, whether Shia or Sunni, many thoughtful Muslims around the world criticize Saudi Arabia but support Iran.

The reason for this support lies in the fact that Iran, transcending the Shia-Sunni divide, has created and supported forces in Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, lraq, and even Saudi Arabia, that are constantly engaged in resistance against Israel. Be it Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, or other groups, all of them operate under Iran’s guidance. Iran provides them with funding, weapons, training, and support, solidifying its power and influence across the region.

The third strength of Iran is its oil and natural gas reserves.

Iran possesses more than 10% of the world's oil reserves,making it the third-largest in terms of oil reserves globally. In natural gas reseryes, it ranks second after Russia, with 29. 6 trillion cubic meters of gas. Iran's gas reserves are about 162 times more than its annual usage. In other words, at the current rate of consumption, Iran has enough gas to last for approximately 162 years. It is said that most of the oil and natural gas in the Greater Middle East is concentrated either in the Persian Gulf or the Caspian Sea region Iran spans both of these crucial areas, from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf.

The countries around the Persian Gulf hold nearly 49% of the world's total crude oil reserves. In 2022, the seven countries of the Persian Gulf produced about 32% of the world's total crude oil. From Shatt Al Arab to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has control over a 615-mile stretch in the Persian Gulf. Thanks to its bays, entry points, coves, and islands, this area serves as an ideal spot for hiding suicide attack speedboats used to ram into oil tankers,. Within the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has a coastline that stretches 1,356 nautical miles, while the United Arab Emirates has only 733 nautical miles.

Additionally, Iran has a 300-mile coastline along the Arabian Sea, including the strategically important Chabahar Port near the Pakistani border. This makes Iran crucial for Central Asian countries and former Soviet states. Iran’s Caspian Sea coast is bordered by dense forests in the south, extending around 400 miles westward to Azerbaijan. The Caspian Sea is shared with Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, enhancing Iran’s geopolitical importance in the region. In essence, Iran has access to diverse range of terrains, including forests, mountains, deserts, and seas.

It possesses far more energy resources than it needs, making the country largely self-sufficient. This is why, despite numerous sanctions from the U.S. and Western countries, Iran manages to withstand the pressure and maintain its resilience. Iran’s fourth strength lies in its culture and political power. Iran has expanded its cultural influence in many ways, and its culture gradually spread across the world. Several historical, religious, literary, and artistic reasons contributed to this.

First and foremost is the language-Persian.

The Persian language has played a crucial role in spreading Iran's cultural strength.

At one time, Persian was not only spoken in iran but also widely in Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Turkey. Some of the great Persian poets, such as Saadi, Rumi, and Hafez, expressed profound thoughts on love, spirituality, and humanity. Their poems are still read globally today. Through Persian literature, concepts of Iranian culture-such as humanity, love, and spirituality-spread from India to Europe The 1979 Islamic Revolution redefined Iran as a religious nation and a cultural power. Iran has played a significant role in spreading Shia Islam to other parts of the world. The influence of Shia Islam is particularly evident in countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain. To propagate its religious and cultural ideologies, Iran has supported organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia militias in lraq. The stories of imam Hussein and the martyrdom at Karbala have helped disseminate the spirit of Iranian culture and Shia Islam worldwide.

From a political perspective, Iran has created a model of proxy armies

From a political perspective, Iran has created a model of proxy armies to preserve its existence, entangling superpowers like Israel and the United States in complex scenarios. Middle East affairs expert Martin Kramer notes that iran's strength lies not just in its geography or history, but also in its strategy and use of proxy forces. By supporting groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, Iran has enhanced both its influence and reputation in the Middle East. Kramer states that this proxy strategy enables Iran to fight its enemies without being directly involved in warfare. This is why Iran has become a country in the Middle East that requires its adversaries to entangle themselves in a web of complexities, ultimately leading to their own self-inflicted wounds. Finally, let's talk about Iran's military strength. Iran is a country that has refused to bow down to the United States. As a result, the U.S. imposed various sanctions on Iran in an attempt to break it.

However, unlike other countries, Iran learned to stand on its own

However, unlike other countries, Every country in the whole world is a slave of America/ western union but not Iran, that is why Iran is standing in front of America today. Iran learned to stand on its own. Today, Iran manufactures many weapons domestically and has made significant advancements in ballistic missiles, possessing missiles capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometers away. Iran has approximately one million soldiers, and its proxy forces completely surround Israel, ready to unleash havoc at Iran's command The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) is considered one of the most capable forces in the Middle East, Following its advancements in missiles, Iran has also started developing drones, Recently, it was reported that Iran attacked lsrael with hypersonic missiles, with the IRGC claiming that 90% of the missiles hit their targets accurately.

However, the Israeli military insisted that ‘a large number” of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted in mid-air. There were reports of bright lights in the sky over Tel Aviv, indicating that the Israeli air defense had successfully intercepted many missiles. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that Iran fired 181 ballistic missiles, resulting in the death of one Palestinian individual, and they even released a video of the incident. seems that both countries are hiding some truths. So, We take a closer look, Iran has emerged as a significant power in the world not only because of its history, culture, and geography but also due to its self-dependence, proxy armies, and military power. Just as the United States intervenes in countries around the world, Iran’s involvement in Middle Eastern countries is evidence of its strength.

By directly warning Israel, Iran is not only demonstrating its power to Middle Eastern nations but also signaling to the world that defeating it will not be easy. Now, it remains to be seen whether the U.S. will target Iran’s nuclear program through Israel, as Iran aspires to become a nuclear power. For this, it is conducting its program underground, which can only be destroyed by U.S.bunker buster bombs like the GBU-57A, weighing 12 tons and measuring six meters Long. Only large U.S. aircraft can carry this bomb which is not possible without America’s help. What do you think is Iran’s greatest strength in your opinion? Be sure to comment.

Conclusion:

Iran's combination of geographical defenses, historical resilience, vast natural resources, cultural influence, and military strategy makes it a nearly unconquerable nation. Its mountainous terrain, strategic control over vital regions like the Strait of Hormuz, and its proxy forces across the Middle East form a multi-layered defense system. Throughout history, despite facing significant adversaries, Iran has maintained its sovereignty and expanded its influence, proving that overcoming it requires far more than just military might. Its strong cultural and political strategies, backed by self-reliance in defense technologies, make Iran a key power in the global arena.

So, I believe I’ve given you all the information. I hope you gain some information’s. If you did, don’t forget to like and share it. Stay tuned to our blog for regular updates and insights.

Experience the power, feel the comfort, and embrace the evolution for the most recent tech news and reviews, Health tips and many more follow themdakbar Blogs.

FAQs:

Q: Why is Iran considered difficult to conquer?

Ans: Iran’s geography, which includes vast mountain ranges, deserts, and strategic waterways, creates a natural defense system that is extremely hard to penetrate. Additionally, its strong military capabilities and network of proxy armies further reinforce its defenses.

Q: How does Iran’s geography contribute to its defense?

Ans: Iran is shielded by several major mountain ranges like the Zagros and Alborz, which act as natural barriers. Its control over the Strait of Hormuz also provides leverage over global oil trade routes, giving it strategic importance.

Q: What role do proxy armies play in Iran’s defense strategy?

Ans: Iran supports groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, which act as proxy forces in various parts of the Middle East. This strategy allows Iran to project power and defend its interests without direct military engagement.

Q: How significant are Iran’s oil and gas reserves to its power?

Ans: Iran has one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world. Its control over energy resources and strategic positions in the Persian Gulf gives it substantial economic and geopolitical leverage, even under international sanctions.

Q: What historical factors contribute to Iran's resilience?

Ans: Iran has a long history of resisting external forces, from the Mongols to modern superpowers. Its deep cultural roots, strong national identity, and the Islamic Revolution have reinforced its determination to remain sovereign and independent.

Q: Can advanced military technology, like drones and missiles, defeat Iran?

Ans: While advanced technology can damage infrastructure, Iran’s vast tunnel networks and mountainous terrain make a full-scale ground invasion nearly impossible without high human and financial costs. Iran’s missile capabilities also pose a significant deterrent.

Chatt with Us

Email Address

Sat - Thu: 9:00 - 17:30