Former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Valery Zaluzhny, now Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, likened the war in Ukraine to a potential escalation in Iran.
How Could the War in Iran Unfold?
General Zaluzhny, speaking to The Telegraph, recalled that Russia anticipated a swift victory in Ukraine in 2022, a prediction that proved incorrect. He raised the question of how a similar situation might play out in the Middle East.
The ambassador stated that predicting the course and outcome of the war is currently impossible, but it could follow two main strategies: defeating the enemy or attrition. If Iran succeeds in the latter, attacking forces will face “major problems,” including the destruction of oil infrastructure and economic damage.
Iranian “Zone of Death”
Zaluzhny predicted the potential consequences of a ground operation in Iran, stating that attempting to test the functionality of a “zone of death” in the desert terrain would be “very dangerous” and lead to “a catastrophe.”
He argued that deploying troops into this area would be a “big mistake” as it is controlled by drones.
What is a Zone of Death?
According to Mykhailo Liuksikov, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj, a “zone of death” is an area between territories controlled by opposing sides. It features observation posts from both sides maintaining minimal activity to avoid detection.
Liuksikov explained that drones are primarily used in this zone, and its width increases with the sophistication and extent of drone deployment.
War in Iran
The US and Iran previously engaged in negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear program, but these efforts failed to meet the expectations of Donald Trump, who opposed Iran possessing nuclear weapons.
As a result, the US and Israel launched a joint operation in Iran on February 28th, aiming to eliminate nuclear facilities and potentially overthrow the current regime.
