Ukraine Did Something Huge to OPEN the Strait of Hormuz… Even U.S. Didn’t See This Coming

Ukraine has seen all of this before. The blockades, the drone swarms, these are precisely the types of tactics that Russia has implemented against Ukraine, and Iran is following the blueprint in the Gulf. Ukraine has seen enough. After Iran armed Russia with drones, Ukraine will seek its revenge.

Even the US didn't see this coming, as Ukraine is doing something huge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and it's using the lessons it learned from humiliating Russia's navy in the Black Sea to do it. Ties are being built between Ukraine and several nations in the Middle East, as President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukraine will be providing yet more of its drone expertise to its new Gulf partners. Having recently completed a visit to the Middle East, Zelensky revealed

that the main topic of discussion with every new partner that he met was inevitably the Strait of Hormuz and the tactics that Iran has been using to blockade that waterway. Gulf leaders need change and they need it fast. With the Strait of Hormuz blocked, they can't sell their oil and gas, which has a huge impact on their economies. For Zelensky, this visit was a chance to build partnerships and get some revenge on both Russia and Iran. Asymmetric naval strategies and the drone technology that Ukraine has used so successfully

against Russia in the Black Sea were big topics of conversation, Zelensky revealed. He explained why, stating, We raise the issue because it's painful and hot, as we can see for the whole world, because there is an energy crisis. They know that they can count on our expertise in this area. Zelensky added that Middle East nations have seen the success

that Ukraine has achieved in unblocking the Black Sea corridor, and they want the details. Ukraine is sharing them, Zelensky said, and in doing so it's making some very smart moves that see it build alliances with rich nations that could help fund Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The ramifications of all this are huge and we'll dig into them soon. But on the expertise front, nobody in the modern world knows better what it's like to have to deal with a blockade instituted by an aggressive nation than Ukraine. On March 21st, Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Sebeev, labeled what we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz as painfully familiar. He said on X that Russia did the same in the Black Sea, blocked maritime trade trying to strangle Ukraine's economy and achieve political and military goals.

Indeed, Russia created a blockade around Ukraine's Black Sea ports almost from the moment that Putin launched his invasion. That blockade was a little different from Iran's. Putin has the warships of the Black Sea Fleet at his disposal, while Iran is using fast attack boats, anti-ship missiles, and drones to create its blockade. But Ukraine felt the results.

The blockade that Russia created cost Ukraine about $20 billion in annual revenue, much of which was focused on the grain that the breadbasket of Europe ships to buyers in Asia and Africa. But Ukraine found a solution. Using ballistic missiles such as the Storm Shadow, Ukraine started striking Russia's larger warships. The development of naval drones such as the Magura and the Seababy allowed Ukraine to conduct targeted strikes against Russian ships at port and in the Black Sea. Ukraine's constant innovation means that these drones have evolved to the point where

they can even carry missiles and FPV drones. Slowly but surely, Ukraine whittled away at Russia's presence in the Black Sea. The fleet that was so dreaded at the start of Putin's invasion was chopped down in size by a third. Russia's warships have mostly withdrawn from the Black Sea due to the constant threat of Ukraine's drone-based strategy.

Today, though missiles still target them, Ukraine's trio of ports in Odessa are still visited by 200 cargo ships every month, Politico reports. That's made possible because Ukraine has created a complex and layered system of cargo ship protection, on top of the offensive strategy that it uses to keep the Black Sea fleet at bay. What we see here is a blueprint for clearing the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf nations that are losing money because of Iran's

blockade want to get their hands on that blueprint. That blueprint is being passed on, Zelensky says. A raft of weapons agreements have been created through Zelensky's visit to the Middle East, most of which will see Ukraine supply weapons and defense technology that it developed to combat Russia's Black Sea blockade and its drone swarms. Ukraine's president highlighted just how important this is, stating, All agreements that will be legally formalized are extremely important for our country. Ukraine has never had such agreements with this region before.

While the details of these agreements haven't been revealed, Kiev Independent reports they are currently related mostly to air defenses, and that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have all signed on the dotted line to get their hands on the expertise that Ukraine brings to the table. Zelensky adds that these new agreements are set to last at least for a decade and cover the export of Ukrainian weapons, which include air defences, naval drones, electronic warfare

and software. For their part, the Gulf nations are paying for these new weapons at least partially using energy supplies. We can assume that a financial component will also be involved, which will be a huge boost for Ukraine as its economy strains under the weight of Russia's relentless attacks. Providing weapons systems alone isn't enough for Ukraine's new partners. They need training on the techniques and tactics required to deploy those systems as effectively as possible against the threat that Iran poses in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine has that covered. Expert groups from Ukraine have already traveled to the Middle East to provide the benefits of their knowledge to the Gulf nations that have become Ukraine's new partners. The leaders of those nations, along with military personnel, are grateful to have received that experience Zelensky says. They should be.

The Strait of Hormuz is a real problem for the Gulf nations. Since the US launched Operation Epic Fury, Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, which has, in turn, led to enormous quantities of oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG, failing to get to their buyers. About 20% of the world's oil and LNG passes through this single waterway, and the economic shockwaves of Iran's blockade are being felt all over the world.

On the recipient side, nowhere is the shock being felt more heavily than in Asia. According to the BBC, about 90% of the oil and LNG that passes through the Strait is bound for Asian countries. Now that supply line has been cut off. Even nations like China, which has three months of reserves that it's built up to account for such a situation, is feeling the pain. Citizens have been faced with a 20% increase

in fuel prices, and the stockpiles China has built can only last for so long. In the Philippines, a national energy emergency has been declared, as some daily wages fall off a cliff due to fuel price increases. India has a more unique problem. 400,000 of its citizens are employed in the country's ceramics trade, which has been forced to shut down for a month as the Strait of Hormuz blockade shows no sign of being

lifted.

At one point, oil prices reached $119 per barrel, NBC News reports. This is a price that hasn't been seen since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain issues that crisis brought to the world. Should what's happening in the Middle East remain unresolved for an extended period, the shockwaves being felt now could be dwarfed as a systemic problem for the entire world develops.

Russia's blockade of the Black Sea was painful for Ukraine and its grain customers. What we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz magnifies that pain to a global scale, as the world's economy is teetering on the edge of oblivion. And at the epicenter of all of this are the Gulf nations that are now working so closely

with Ukraine.

For them, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an even more immediate problem because it means that they can't generate the income that they rely on to keep entire nations running. We'll get to that in a moment, but before we do, this is a quick reminder that you are watching the Military Show. If you haven't subscribed yet, now is the perfect time to hit that button, so you catch every video that we publish. As the BBC reports, the 20% of oil and LNG that flows through the strait every year amounts to about $600 billion in annual trade.

Iran is one of the beneficiaries of this income and its blockade obviously doesn't extend to ships that are doing business with the country's regime. But for the likes of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states that are quickly looking to build ties with Ukraine, that isn't the case. Billions of dollars are being lost in trade that isn't able to happen because of Iran's blockade. The Guardian calls this the worst nightmare for the Gulf states, especially because

this is a problem that is entirely outside of their control. It was the US and Israel that launched operations against Iran. Gulf states are being drawn into a conflict of which they want no part, though they are also being steeled against Iran, both due to the blockade and because Iran has been launching missiles and drones into their territory. The sad fact for these nations is that they don't really have a choice, they are involved now and their economies are feeling the brunt of the consequences.

Ynet News says that the Gulf states have already lost about 1% of their Gross Domestic Product or GDPs in the month or so since Operation Epic Fury began. Al Jazeera reports that Capital Economics forecasts GDP losses of between 10 and 15% if the conflict lasts at least three months. That is a very real risk, especially as signs are pointing to the US preparing to put boots on the ground in Iran that could add weeks, if not months, to the Operation Epic Fury

timescale. What was supposed to be a quick operation for the US is looking like it will be anything but. And for as long as the Strait of Hormuz is blockaded, the Gulf nations need to find their own solutions. They've come calling to Ukraine and Zelensky has answered that call. This is a brilliant strategy for Ukraine, as you'll soon discover, but there's another reason beyond the financial incentives for Ukraine to get involved. The new agreements allow Ukraine to exact some

sweet revenge against both Russia and Iran. In addition to the blockade that Russia tried to create in the Black Sea, Ukraine has been pelted by drones on an enormous scale since Putin launched his invasion. Russia didn't have those drones at the beginning of the war, it had to source them from somewhere else and that somewhere ended up being Iran. According to the conversation, Russia is almost at the point where it's able to build 1,000 long-range drones every day. And almost all of these drones are Shahid types or variants of a design that Iran licensed to Russia around 4 years ago.

That's the link. Iran hasn't just provided Russia with thousands of drones. It's done what Ukraine is doing in the Middle East right now. For Russia to get to the point that it has with its long-range drones, it needed experts from Iran to head into the country and teach it how to build those drones. Iran happily provided that expertise in return for deepening its security ties with Russia. There are now production plants inside Russia that are dedicated

solely to building drones of Iranian design. And the Shahid-136 strike drone, which Russia calls the Geran-2, is now a more common sight in Ukrainian skies than it is anywhere in Iran. We see that in the size of Russia's long-range attacks against Ukraine. In February, Russia deployed 5,059 drones against Ukraine, which represented a 13% increase over the figure from January. And in March, Russia capped off the month with a 24-hour series of strikes between March

23rd and 24th, which eventually amounted to 948 drones. None of this would have been possible without Iran and its Shaheed knowledge, and Ukraine is acutely aware of that fact. It will also be aware that Russia is now trying to repay the favor to Iran in the Gulf region. According to a report by The Telegraph, Russia is starting to supply Iran with Geran-2 and Shahid-136 drones, which means Iran is benefiting from the technological upgrades to those drones that have given them a range of 600 miles and a speed of 111 miles per hour, all in return for a $20,000 outlet. Ukraine knows all too well the problems that Iran's Shaheed drones can cause.

It's now lapping up some delicious irony as it turns Iran's strategy against it. Iran's regime thought that it could benefit from cozying up to Putin by giving Russia what it needed to hurt Ukraine. Now Ukraine is cozying up to the Gulf nations that Putin hoped to influence by way of his ties with Iran, and it's doing it by providing drones and expertise, just as Iran provided to Russia. But Ukraine is going a step further.

Iran's Shahids are attack drones, for which Ukraine had to find an answer. Over the last four years, that answer has been evolving to the point where Ukraine has developed low-cost interceptor drones that collide with Russia's Shahid variants, taking them out in the skies long before they reach their targets. In February, more than 70% of the Shahid-type drones that Russia launched at Kiev were taken out by Ukraine's new interceptors. These drones cost as little as $1,150 to build, which makes them cheaper than the Shahid drones

that Iran deploys and far less expensive than the anti-air missiles that the Gulf nations have been using to take out Iran's drones. Ukraine is even developing interceptor technology that it aims to use to destroy entire targeted swarms of Russia's Iranian-inspired drones. Under its new agreements with its Gulf allies, Ukraine may well share that technology. This, in a nutshell, is what the Gulf nations are getting from Ukraine. Expertise and drone systems, including interceptors,

will help those nations to counter the drone threat that Iran poses in the Strait of Hormuz. If Ukraine also starts sharing the blueprints for its seafaring drones, such as the Sea Baby, the Gulf nations get cost-effective weapons that they can deploy against Iran's fast boats in the Strait. Combine all of that with the Black Sea blueprint that Ukraine created, which includes the previously mentioned component of creating layered defenses to guard tankers against attacks, and the Gulf nations get a ready-made strategy that offers an asymmetric counter to Iran's tactics

as the US tries to solve the Strait of Hormuz problem with sheer firepower. The US never expected any of this. Hopefully the US will be glad to see Ukraine's involvement, especially as US President Donald Trump has implied that other countries must take care of the problem in Hormuz. Ukraine and the Gulf nations seem to be taking that literally, and the benefits for Ukraine's new Gulf allies are clear to see. But now we come back to the real genius of this deal that we mentioned earlier. In the immediate sense, we are going to see Ukrainian

drone technology and expertise heading to the Gulf. All to counter Iran's Strait of Hormuz threat. But remember what we told you earlier, Zelensky says, the deals he's signing last for 10 years. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have already committed to these long-term deals, and the United Arab Emirates isn't too far behind, The Guardian reports. It's here where Ukraine's true genius shines. The Ukraine war has raged for over four years, and there appears to be no end in sight.

Putin isn't swaying from his maximalist demands during peace talks. The Ukraine, handing over so much of its drone expertise now, means that it will be able to lean on its new Gulf partners for money and defense supplies later. Advanced air defense systems that can counter Russia's ballistic missiles are a must, and we may start to see cooperative energy and defense production come into play as these decade-long deals mature.

Ukraine is setting itself up for a future where it is still a sovereign nation, and it's doing it by building ties with Gulf nations that have felt the pressure of Putin's influence indirectly through Russia's ties with Iran. We now see a situation that nobody expected. Ukraine looks set to be the unlikely winner of Operation Epic Fury. The experience that it has in battling Russian drones that are developed from Iranian designs has become a lever that Ukraine is pressing on as hard as it can.

Through this, Ukraine is showcasing itself as a far more valuable partner to Middle Eastern nations than Russia, as according to Oleksandr Kriev of the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, who tells UKRINFORM, our experience is something we can trade for additional security and a stronger negotiating position. We are showing the world that we are a more interesting and valuable partner to Russia. Countries in the Middle East have had long-standing relations with Russia, contracts

with it, and essentially saw no one else in the post-Soviet space besides Moscow. That's changing now. Even as he attempts to support Iran as it is battered by the US in Operation Epic Fury, Putin is watching Russia's influence in the rest of the Middle East slip away. Nations that once relied on Russia for weapons, expertise, and security guarantees are now turning to Ukraine.

What once were trade relationships fueled by Gulf states buying 20% of the soybeans, wheat, corn, and sunflower oil that Ukraine produces has blossomed into something far more. That's dangerous for Iran. It's dangerous for Russia, too. In one of the most unexpected developments in modern geopolitics, a four-year-plus invasion

has led to Ukraine becoming a key power player, not only in Europe, but in the Middle East. Still, we can't ignore the fact that Ukraine's drone expertise will take a while to implement and the Strait of Hormuz is still blockading. The US, as shocked as it is by Ukraine's deepening involvement, has its own plans for reopening the waterway. You can find out what those plans are if you watch our video.

And if you enjoyed this video, remember to subscribe to the Military Show to catch more of our in-depth analysis of the geopolitics surrounding the crisis in And if you enjoyed this video, remember to subscribe to the Military Show to catch more of our in-depth analysis of the geopolitics surrounding the crisis in the Middle East. And thank you as always for watching.