Iran seeks to expand trade and transport links with Central Asia

Iran is stepping up efforts to strengthen trade and transport links with Central Asia, with senior officials engaging counterparts in four of the region’s five countries over the past week, according to media reports. On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Dushanbe, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon discussed trade with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on October 19. Aref said bilateral trade had increased by 50% since the start of the conflict between Iran and the United States, although he did not provide specific figures.

Tajik statistics show that trade between the two countries rose by about 15% in the first half of 2026, reaching $254 million. Rahmon said the countries planned to expand the range of goods traded and develop joint production ventures. Earlier in October, Iranian Transport Minister Farzaneh Sadegh met with officials from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to promote a north-south trade route centered on Iran’s port of Chabahar, which is intended to improve access to India and other markets. She also promoted the planned Chabahar–Zahedan railway as a way to expand trade with Afghanistan, Eurasianet reported. According to Iranian media, Sadegh secured a commitment from…