On Monday, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, embarked on a special Indian Air Force flight bound for Iran. It is anticipated that he will observe the signing of the significant Chabahar port agreement between the two nations.
The accord will allow India to secure a long-term lease for the Chabahar port, located on the Iranian coast along the Gulf of Oman. This astute strategic move will establish a fresh trade pathway connecting South Asia and Central Asia through Iran, circumventing the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan.
It also presents a new range of economic possibilities for business entities to investigate an alternate transportation pathway away from the critical and congested Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The operation contract for the Chabahar Port signifies another significant milestone in India’s expanding maritime influence in the area, following the establishment of the Sittwe Port in Myanmar, both endeavours aimed at countering the increasing presence of China in the region. Exactly a year ago, in May 2023, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Sittwe port in Myanmar.
Iran’s Chabahar port is viewed as a vital element of India’s connectivity initiatives, holding great importance as it offers a more feasible and shorter trade route between India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
India’s objective is to transform the Chabahar Port into a transit hub within the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to engage with CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) nations. INSTC embodies India’s vision to streamline cargo movement between India and Central Asia, with the Chabahar Port serving as a commercial transit point for the region.
INSTC represents a multi-modal transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea through Iran, extending onward to northern Europe via St. Petersburg in Russia.
The INSTC blueprint involves transporting goods from Mumbai to the Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar (Iran) by sea, then from Chabahar to Bandar-e-Anzali (an Iranian port on the Caspian Sea) by road, and further from Bandar-e-Anzali to Astrakhan (a Caspian port in the Russian Federation) by sea across the Caspian Sea, and subsequently from Astrakhan to other regions of the Russian Federation and beyond into Europe via Russian railways.
In January of this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Iran President Ebrahim Raisi deliberated on expediting the implementation of Iran-India agreements, including the Chabahar Port Development Plan, to address previous delays.
During their discussions, Jaishankar expressed keenness in finalizing a comprehensive and enduring cooperation agreement with Iran, as reported on the Iranian President’s official website.