BISHKEK (TCA) — Iran on December 3 officially opened an extension of its southeastern port of Chabahar, which Tehran hopes will become a key transit hub for land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia, RFE/RL reported.
Iranian state TV said President Hassan Rohani attended the inauguration along with dignitaries from India, Qatar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries.
“Through this port, goods will be delivered to neighboring countries at cheaper prices and in a shorter time,” Rohani said at the ceremony.
Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi said Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman will “soon become an important commercial hub for Iran.”
The extension of Chabahar port, Iran’s closest sea link to the Indian Ocean, more than tripled its capacity to 8.5 million tons of cargo annually, compared with the previous 2.5 million tons.
Construction was carried out by Khatam al-Anbia, a conglomerate owned by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and a number of subcontractors, including a state-run Indian company.
The extension required an investment of $1 billion, including $235 million from India.
Further stages of development are due to expand the port over the next 14 years.
New Delhi has committed up to $500 million for the development of the Chabahar port along with roads and railway lines in order to get access to the Afghan and Central Asian markets while bypassing rival Pakistan.
Analysts say the Chabahar port could challenge Pakistan’s Gwadar port, some 80 kilometers from Chabahar, which is being developed with Chinese investment.
Iran is planning to link the Chabahar port with a railway to the northeastern city of Mashhad to further facilitate trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
