US-Iran Conflict & Hormuz Crisis | UPSC GS-2 | UPSCPDF

UPSCPDF Editorial Analysis: the US-Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, nuclear diplomacy after the JCPOA, energy security and India

💡 Key Takeaways | 🕰️ How We Got Here — Timeline | ⚓ The Strait of Hormuz — Deep Dive | 📜 The International-Law Framework | 🔍 Core Concepts (High-Yield) | ⚖️ Debate: Has Military Force Achieved Its Objectives? | 📐 Diplomatic & Legal Frameworks | 🇮🇳 India’s Initiatives & Interests | 📊 Marks Distribution Strategy | 📝 Model Answer | 🧩 Key Dimensions | 🧩 Related Practice Questions | 🧭 Quick Framing Angles | 👥 Key Actors & Stakeholders | 🔑 One-Page Revision Cloud

From Military Coercion to a Fragile Ceasefire — the Hormuz Crisis, Nuclear Diplomacy after the JCPOA, Energy Security & India’s Balancing Act in West Asia West Asia is gripped by the most serious U.S.–Iran confrontation in decades. After the 12-day Israel–Iran war of June 2025 — during which the United States struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites — a still larger U.S.–Israel–Iran war erupted on 28 February 2026, in which Iran’s Supreme Leader and several senior figures were killed and Iran retaliated against Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states. A fragile, externally mediated ceasefire (from April 2026) has repeatedly faltered, leaving a tense strategic stalemate rather than a settlement. A defining feature has been the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s single most important oil chokepoint. Iran does not legally “own” the Strait — its shipping lanes lie largely in Omani waters and are governe