Taliban Shifts Focus to Iran’s Chabahar Port as Key Trade Route Amid Pakistan Blockade

The Taliban ambassador in Moscow announced that Iran’s Chabahar port is becoming a key route for Afghanistan’s foreign trade, and Kabul is actively strengthening cooperation with Iran and India to further exploit this route. This move has come in response to the closure of border crossings by Pakistan and the Taliban’s desire to reroute traditional trade pathways…

Active cooperation between Kabul, Iran, and India to replace traditional routes

Gul Hassan Hassan, the Taliban ambassador in Moscow, stated at the third international North-South transport corridor forum that Iran’s Chabahar port is becoming a key route for Afghanistan’s foreign trade, and Kabul is intensifying cooperation with Iran and India to better utilize this strategic route.

Replacing old and traditional routes

The Taliban ambassador in Moscow expressed that Afghanistan’s commercial turnover via Chabahar is increasing daily. He emphasized that this route could replace Afghanistan’s old and traditional trade pathways.
Gul Hassan Hassan clarified: Afghanistan is actively cooperating with Iranian and Indian officials regarding the development of Chabahar port use, and the Minister of Commerce also discussed increasing the utilization of this port during his recent meeting with Iranian officials.
He also stressed that the Taliban wants to change its trade routes, which previously passed through other countries, towards Chabahar.

Response to the blockade of Pakistan’s borders

This action by the Taliban has directly followed the closure of the Torkham and Chaman border crossings by Pakistan. The blockage of these crossings and the reduction of trade exchanges with Pakistan have directed Afghanistan towards expanding trade relations with neighboring countries, especially Iran and India, to escape the monopoly of traditional transit routes.
Chabahar port in Sistan and Baluchestan province is Iran’s only oceanic port that has long been recognized as a vital route for Afghanistan to access open waters and is considered a strategic point in connecting North-South Asia.