TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Hamid Qanbari said that the country has strengthened its land and rail corridors to offset some of the restrictions affecting maritime and air routes and is using these alternatives to maintain trade.
 With land borders shared with seven countries and access to the Caspian Sea, Iran can use various routes to maintain trade links with its neighbors, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia. Road and rail routes have become increasingly important for transporting goods and maintaining access to regional markets amid restrictions on access to southern ports.
Meanwhile, the Gabd–Rimdan border crossing between Iran and Pakistan reopened on Sunday after a suspension of about one week, and commercial truck traffic resumed.
Developing land and rail corridors can help Iran maintain part of its foreign trade amid maritime restrictions. However, the lower capacity of these routes compared with maritime transport, higher transportation costs, and the possibility of congestion at border crossings remain among the challenges ahead.
Sustaining this trend depends on developing transportation infrastructure, coordinating customs procedures with neighboring countries, and maintaining access to regional border crossings. Under these circumstances, strengthening land and rail networks is part of Iran’s efforts to maintain foreign trade flows and expand economic ties with countries across the region.