India’s big plan for Iran’s Chabahar Port to deeply hurt Pakistan and China, India will gain direct…, Sistan-Baluchistan province…

Chabahar Port: Tehran: India has planned to rapidly develop Iran’s Chabahar port. Along with the expansion of the port, connecting it to Iran through a railway line is also part of India’s plan. This step taken by India is aimed at countering Pakistan’s China-supported Gwadar port. Chabahar provides India a route to West Asia and Afghanistan, bypassing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Chabahar has also become crucial for India due to the deterioration of relations with Pakistan, which has reached a low point after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

According to a report by Live Mint, the expansion of the Chabahar port will enhance India’s regional connectivity and trade opportunities, while reducing dependence on Pakistan. This will also strengthen India’s regional influence. The railway line connecting the Chabahar port to Iran’s railway network is expected to be completed within a year.

India and Iran are jointly developing new rail connectivity between the cities of Chabahar and Zahedan. This will make the Chabahar port the entry gate of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). This corridor will be the main trade route for the eastern part of the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, and Eurasian countries. Recently, Chabahar port has become a major trade center for India. Therefore, there is an emphasis on connecting it with the rail line.

In 2016, an agreement was signed between Indian Railways’ IRCON and the Iranian Railway’s Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company (CDTIC), but work on the 700-kilometer long Chabahar-Zahedan railway line is progressing very slowly. Now, there is a focus on its rapid implementation. The Chabahar port, located just outside the Hormuz Strait, provides financial and operational benefits to the Central Asian and Eurasian countries located in the eastern part of Afghanistan, the Caspian Sea, and beyond. Efforts are being made to improve the railway connectivity of the Chabahar port towards the eastern region.

The Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province on the southwestern coast of Iran, is an important point on the Arabian Sea. It provides easy access to India’s western coast. The nearest port, Kandla in Gujarat, is 550 nautical miles away from Chabahar, while the distance between Chabahar and Mumbai is 786 nautical miles. The integration of the port with a special free zone enhances its significance.

Chabahar is being viewed as a vital link that facilitates the movement of goods between India and Central Asian countries.

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