Features

Shockwaves Across Asia: The Iran War’s Strategic Fallout

Recent Features

Features | Diplomacy

Shockwaves Across Asia: The Iran War’s Strategic Fallout

From energy disruptions to alliance tensions, a geographically distant conflict is having immediate consequences across the Indo-Pacific.

Shockwaves Across Asia: The Iran War’s Strategic Fallout

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) conduct live-fire missions during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 28, 2026.

Credit: U.S. Army photo

The Israeli-U.S. military strikes on Iran that began on February 28 have done more than ignite a Middle Eastern war. They have sent shockwaves rolling across Asia, from the Strait of Hormuz to the Sea of Japan, exposing the brittle underpinnings of regional energy systems, straining diplomatic balancing acts, and forcing governments to make hard choices they have long deferred. 

The conflict is, at its core, a distant war for most of Asia. But the consequences are arriving fast and close.

[...]