Taliban Emphasizes Chabahar Port as Key Trade Route for Afghanistan

The Taliban’s ambassador in Moscow has announced that Iran’s Chabahar port is becoming a key route for Afghanistan’s foreign trade. Kabul is actively enhancing its cooperation with Iran and India to maximize the utilization of this strategic corridor. This shift comes in response to the closure of border crossings by Pakistan and the Taliban’s desire to redirect traditional trade routes.

Active Collaboration with Iran and India to Replace Traditional Routes

During the third international North-South transport forum, Ghol Hassan Hassan, the Taliban’s ambassador in Moscow, stated that Iran’s Chabahar port is increasingly becoming an essential route for Afghanistan’s foreign trade. He emphasized that Kabul is strengthening its cooperation with Iran and India to better exploit this strategic path.

Replacing Old and Traditional Routes

The Taliban ambassador noted that the daily trade volume from the Chabahar route is on the rise. He highlighted that this corridor could serve as a substitute for Afghanistan’s outdated and traditional trade routes.

Ghol Hassan Hassan affirmed:
Afghanistan is actively collaborating with Iranian and Indian officials regarding the development of Chabahar port, mentioning that the Minister of Commerce recently discussed enhancing the port’s utilization in meetings with Iranian counterparts.

He also stressed that the Taliban wishes to shift its commercial routes, which previously passed through other countries, towards Chabahar.

Response to Pakistan’s Border Closures

This initiative by the Taliban follows the closure of the Torkham and Chaman border crossings by Pakistan. The blocking of these gateways and the reduction of trade exchanges with Pakistan has driven Afghanistan to seek stronger trade relations with neighboring countries, especially Iran and India, in order to move away from the monopoly of traditional transit routes.

Chabahar port, located in Sistan and Baluchestan province, is Iran’s only ocean port and has long been recognized as a vital route for Afghanistan’s access to international waters. It is strategically positioned to connect North and South Asia.