Russia is sending drone components to Iran via Caspian Sea shipping, US officials told the New York Times in a report published Saturday, turning the world’s largest lake into a key conduit for both covert and overt trade.

According to the sources, who spoke to the American outlet on condition of anonymity, the long-overlooked trade corridor is helping Iran rebuild its military capabilities in the wake of the US-Israeli bombing campaign that ended last month in a tenuous ceasefire.

If shipments from Russia continue at their current pace, Iran could quickly restock its drone arsenal, US officials said, some 60 percent of which was lost during the recent war.

The Caspian Sea acts as a bridge, connecting the two countries which do not share a border but both have long coastlines on the massive inland sea. It allows Russia and Iran to trade openly, without fear of interdiction by US or other countries for evading sanctions, the New York Times reported.

According to the news outlet, Russia is sending goods that would normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded for weeks now by both the US and Iran. Goods transiting the Caspian Sea include grains, animal feed, sunflower oil and other staple products.

The Caspian is the world’s largest inland body of water and its southern coastline stretches more........

© The Times of Israel