Iran Uses War with US to Reshape Middle East Order

Iran is leveraging its six-month war with the U.S. to secure permanent strategic control over the Strait of Hormuz, seeking recognition as a determining power in a reshaped Middle East order, according to analysts cited by Newsweek. Tehran aims to formalize its leverage through a reported deal with Oman to collect service fees on the vital oil and gas corridor, using this as an insurance policy against future U.S. intervention and to bolster its position on the nuclear issue. The strategy includes reviving its weakened Axis of Resistance network, with attacks on any member treated as an attack on Iran itself. The conflict is accelerating regional realignments, with Gulf states diversifying ties toward China and questioning U.S. security guarantees, while Washington's focus on the Middle East has drawn resources from other strategic regions like Taiwan and Ukraine.