The annals of history are often written in the ink of unintended consequences. As the fragile ceasefire enters its second week, the US naval blockade takes effect in the Strait of Hormuz. With potential escalations threatening mayhem, the world finds itself staring at a landscape transformed by a conflict few desired and none can claim to have won. For India, a nation that historically prides itself on its moral heritage, this crisis has exposed the fragility of our energy security and our lack of leverage with the big powers. But more importantly, it has presented a moment of existential choice: In the wake of the collapse of the peace negotiations, will India continue to hedge its bets in the shadows of giants, or will it stand up to be counted as a principled architect of a new, durable global order?

The Iran war, launched under the banner of “Operation Epic Fury”, was framed by Washington as a surgical necessity — a mission to degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities and proxy networks. Yet, as the war dragged into its second month, the goalposts shifted with dizzying frequency. From regime change to the desperate restoration of maritime navigation, the shifting objectives revealed a fundamental truth: Modern warfare is a blunt instrument incapable of resolving geopolitical problems surgically.

The primary casualty of this military hubris was the Strait of Hormuz. By attempting to “secure” the region, the offensive triggered the very insecurity it sought to prevent: A blockade of the strait. The result was a self-inflicted irony of global proportions: US President Donald Trump called the reopening of the strait his major war aim, though the strait had been open and functioning smoothly till the war........

© Indian Express