In the event of an open naval confrontation, Russia could create serious complications for the United States Navy, analysts from the Chinese outlet Sohu argue.

The authors point out that the United States maintains an extensive network of military bases across the globe and routinely projects power in several strategically important regions of the world’s oceans. Should tensions with Moscow escalate, Washington, they suggest, could mirror its approach toward Iran by deploying carrier strike groups closer to Russian shores.

Numerically, the Russian Navy cannot match the United States in aircraft carriers. But, according to the publication, the balance of power at sea is not defined by carriers alone. Russia retains other capabilities and weapons systems that could alter the dynamics of a potential clash.

Chief among them is what the analysts describe as Russia’s enduring trump card: a formidable submarine fleet. They contend that if any country is theoretically capable of inflicting significant damage on the U. S. Navy, it is Russia.

Earlier reports in the media noted that a U. S. Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Strait of Malacca and headed toward the Middle East, in the direction of Iranian waters. At the same time, an expansion of the air contingent at the American base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean was expected. Observers linked the substantial buildup of military presence to a possible decision by the White House occupant, Donald Trump, to launch a large-scale operation against Iran.