News: Recently, the United States has revoked the sanctions waiver for Iran’s Chabahar Port.
About Chabahar Port
- Location: It is a deep-water port located in Iran’s Sistan–Baluchistan province on the Gulf of Oman, near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.
- It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean.
- Components: It comprises two terminals: Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.
- Strategic importance: It is strategically positioned close to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, enhancing its role as a regional hub.
- It acts as a key transit center in the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
- INSTC links the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, and onward to northern Europe via Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- Distances from India: Kandla Port (550 nautical miles) and Mumbai Port (786 nautical miles).
About Chabahar Project – India’s Role
- Tripartite agreement signed in May 2016 between India, Iran, and Afghanistan to develop the Shahid Beheshti Terminal.
- It marks India’s first foreign port development project aims to establish an international transport and transit corridor through Chabahar.
- It includes construction of a rail line from Chabahar Port to Zahedan in Iran.
- It enables India to bypass Pakistan for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
- It is expected to serve as a hub for transit trade between India, Iran, and Afghanistan.
- It provides an alternative route to the traditional Silk Road passing through China.
