TEHRAN - Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami says the capacity of the country’s ports has reached 250 million tons, the portal of the ministry reported on Sunday.

According to Eslami in the past Iranian calendar year 1398 (ended on March 19), 147 million tons of commodities were transported through Iranian ports.

The figure stood at 134 million tons in the preceding year, he said in a televised interview.

Transit of goods through the country’s ports also experienced a 16 percent increase in the past year despite the U.S. sanctions, the official stressed.

He mentioned the significant improvement in the development of the Chabahar port, in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, saying that currently in Chabahar, seven cargo vessels are sending about 300,000 tons of basic goods to foreign destinations.

Loading and unloading of goods in Chabahar port reached nearly 3 million tons in the past calendar year, 600,000 tons more than its preceding year, the official said adding that Chabahar port has had a significant impact on the Sistan-Baluchestan province’s economy.

Back in October 2019, the head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced that after inaugurating the first phase of Chabahar Port’s development plan, the port’s capacity increased four times in less than two years.

EF/MA