Foreign media report a ten-year agreement signed between India and Iran aimed at developing and operating the Chabahar port.
According to Reuters, India has leveraged the use of Chabahar port to increase the transportation of commercial and transit goods with Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asian countries, positioning it as an alternative to the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar.
India’s recent initiatives to develop the Chabahar port have been welcomed by Afghan traders for boosting regional trade and transit.
Ali Ahmad Amirzadeh, a trader, stated, “We want this port to develop and serve as an alternative to the ports we use for our exports and imports, allowing us to ship our goods through this port with better facilities and ease.”
Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce sees the increased trade between Afghanistan and India through the Chabahar port as beneficial for both countries.
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Javad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said, “This is good news for our private sector, and our transit and transport sector. We can provide the facilities that India may require on our soil.”
Sakhi Ahmad Payman, Deputy of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, mentioned, “We can use Chabahar port as an alternative route.”
At the same time, the U.S. State Department emphasizes maintaining sanctions against Iran and suggests that other countries’ involvement, including India, might be impacted by these sanctions.
Speaking at a press conference, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “I would just say…US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them.”
Previously, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had announced the preparation of land and the creation of a special zone in Chabahar port in Iran for the country’s traders, noting that this zone has significantly facilitated increased exports and imports, providing numerous benefits for traders.
