Afghanistan turns to Iran route amid Pakistan border closures
Iran Press TV
Sunday, 16 November 2025 6:55 AM
The Taliban-led government of Afghanistan has decided to rely more on trade routes through Iran and Central Asia to reduce its dependence on Pakistan amid recent tensions between the neighbors and the closure of the border.
In an attempt to bypass Pakistan and avoid recurring border and transit disruptions, Afghanistan has increasingly shifted freight to Iran's port of Chabahar.
"In the past six months, our trade with Iran has reached $1.6 billion, higher than the $1.1 billion exchanged with Pakistan," Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman for the commerce ministry, said.
"The facilities at Chabahar have reduced delays and given traders confidence that shipments will not stop when borders close."
The spokesman also said that Iran has installed updated equipment and X-ray scanners, while offering Afghan cargo a 30% cut in port tariffs, 75% off storage fees, and 55% off docking charges.
Furthermore, Afghanistan's deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, gave traders a three-month deadline to settle contracts in Pakistan and shift to other routes.
The Afghan official accused Islamabad of using "commercial and humanitarian matters as political leverage," saying Afghanistan would not mediate disputes after the deadline.
He also ordered ministries to stop clearing Pakistani medicines, citing "low-quality" imports.
CEO of the Chabahar Free Zone, Mohammad Saeed Arbabi, also announced during a recent meeting with the Afghan ambassador that Chabahar is ready to establish an office for Afghanistan in the Free Zone.
The shift has enabled the landlocked country to access international waters and paved the way for the development of its exports, imports, and sustainable trade.
Afghanistan has also boosted shipments through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, routes it says are growing faster than Pakistan's.
Nevertheless, Pakistan remains the fastest route to the sea for Afghanistan, with trucks reaching its southern port of Karachi in three days. Pakistani exports to Afghanistan neared $1.5 billion in 2024.
The two neighbors in October engaged in a round of deadly clashes along their northwestern border that left dozens dead and injured on both sides.
The longstanding conflict stems from Pakistan's accusations that Kabul harbors the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), responsible for carrying out deadly attacks in the South Asian country, a charge the Taliban denies.
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