Filmed on location in 19 countries, this program looks at the geopolitical struggle for control of the waterways of the Middle East. After centuries of naval domination of the region’s waters, the West faces the rising tide of indigenous control all around the Indian Ocean rim. And in the wake of popular uprisings in the Middle East, few certainties remain. But one thing is clear: the West no longer dictates outcomes like before – and it is far from sure what actions, war or otherwise, can restore its slipping influence.