Iran Seeks Rail Link To China Through Afghanistan
Iran is seeking to establish a railway connection to China via Afghanistan as part of efforts to expand regional transit and trade links, Iranian and Taliban officials said.
Iran is seeking to establish a railway connection to China via Afghanistan as part of efforts to expand regional transit and trade links, Iranian and Taliban officials said.
Jabbar Ali Zakeri, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Railway Authority, discussed the proposal during a meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, in Kabul. Zakeri said Iran is interested in connecting to China through Afghanistan’s rail network and, in turn, linking China with Europe.
The meeting was held on Tuesday at the Sapidar Palace in Kabul. Zakeri called for the formation of a joint committee to advance cooperation and expand the railway network between the two sides.
According to Iranian media reports, Zakeri presented a proposal for a new transit railway route running from Herat in western Afghanistan to China. The plan envisages extending the railway from Herat to Balkh and then toward the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan province, ultimately connecting Iran to China through Afghan territory.
The proposal comes as trade between Iran and China is currently conducted mainly via maritime routes, which officials say involve higher costs, longer transit times and complications linked to international sanctions.
Tasnim News Agency reported that Afghanistan’s geographic position as a natural corridor between Central Asia, South Asia and Iran makes it central to the project.
Baradar welcomed the proposal, saying he had discussed the project’s value and economic importance with Iran’s vice president about three years ago and had shared relevant assessments at the time.
He ordered that a joint committee be established as soon as possible and instructed officials to begin practical work on the project without delay.
