WANA (May 31) – According to a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Iran’s position among the top three countries in the world in terms of transit capacity and its participation in 8 to 9 major regional corridors has provided the nation with high capability to neutralize the effects of the naval blockade.

 

Ali Rigi Mirjaveh, a member of the Iran-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, stated in an interview that Iran now ranks among the top three countries globally regarding transit capacity.

 

During the ongoing Ramadan War, the United States and the Israeli regime have attempted to place Iran under an economic siege by imposing maritime restrictions and blocking imports and exports. However, according to recent statistics, Iran is active in 8 to 9 major regional corridors.

 

With a potential annual transit capacity of approximately 80 million tons of goods and transit connections with 50 countries, the chances of success for such a blockade are practically very limited. Furthermore, if existing capacities are fully utilized, Iran could secure a 25% share of the global transit market.

 

Nevertheless, experts note that even if Iran can completely neutralize the blockade by relying on its border capacities, lifting the blockade entirely must not be removed from the agenda. Former IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaei has stated that military tools will be utilized to lift the blockade if necessary.

 

Economic expert Sina Sadr believes that the continuation of the naval blockade could have paralyzing effects on the country’s economy. He noted that under current conditions, the country faces limitations in terms of both time (at least 3 years) and financial resources to fully activate alternative transit routes to the southern ports.

 

Conversely, another economic expert, Saman Rezaei, argues that wartime considerations have been factored into the current year’s budget. He added that the willingness of neighboring countries to develop new corridors, combined with indigenous knowledge, has reduced the time and cost required to develop these routes by up to 50%.

 

According to an assessment by the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Iran possesses three alternative routes to its southern ports: the Caspian Sea ports, the Armenia corridor, and the eastern axis.

 

The ports of Anzali, Caspian, and Amirabad are connected to Russia, Central Asia, and Europe via the North–South Corridor, and their transit capacity could be expanded within 6 to 18 months of development.

 

Additionally, Chabahar port, with a current capacity of 8 million tons and the potential to expand up to 30 million tons, serves as the main trade route with India, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Alongside the routes passing through Pakistan, it significantly multiplies Iran’s overall transit capacity.