TEHRAN – Iran plans to establish a maritime consortium in the Caspian Sea with the participation of private-sector companies from Iran and Russia in the coming months, the head of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) said on Saturday.

Saeed Rasouli, managing director of the organisation, told reporters in a press conference that despite challenges posed by falling water levels in the Caspian Sea, Iran should continue to use the basin’s capacity to expand economic engagement with neighbouring countries.

He said Iran has five neighbours along the Caspian coastline and maintains significant economic and trade relations with all of them.

Rasouli, who is also a deputy minister of transport and urban development, said natural challenges cannot be confronted but must be managed, adding that one of Iran’s key approaches is to activate cargo and passenger transport capacity in the Caspian Sea.

He said the idea of forming a Caspian maritime consortium with Iranian and Russian private-sector participation was proposed in May and followed by a meeting in Russia’s Makhachkala, where a roadmap for the initiative was outlined. The two sides are expected to sign the consortium’s founding document within the next one to two months.

Rasouli said Iran is also expanding maritime cooperation with other countries, including Kazakhstan in both the Caspian Sea and southern waters, as well as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Oman.

He announced the launch of a trial regular shipping line between Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar and Oman’s capital Muscat, stressing that the Caspian Sea and southern seas should not be viewed separately. He said Iran sees the Caspian as part of a broader transit route and that combining maritime routes with expanded rail and road links could create a strong transit corridor.

Container traffic at Chabahar port rises 70%

Rasouli said container handling at Chabahar port has risen by more than 70 percent compared with last year, adding that while the port is expanding rapidly, it still faces constraints despite its favourable geographic location.

He said construction of the port’s hinterland logistics zone will begin soon and that its rail connection to the city of Zahedan is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Rasouli said Shahid Rajaee terminal at Chabahar covers about 2,400 hectares, with an additional 2,400-hectare expansion phase planned. He said construction of the connecting bridge for the expansion area is underway.

Maritime-based economy

Rasouli said Iran is now treating the development of a maritime-based economy as a priority, arguing that decades of reliance on oil revenues have caused the country to overlook key advantages, including maritime transport.

He said recent policy guidance has placed the maritime economy firmly on the national agenda and described it as a source of prosperity for future generations and a means of addressing structural economic imbalances.

Referring again to Chabahar as Iran’s only oceanic port, Rasouli said expectations surrounding its rail connection should be realistic. He said rail access alone would not guarantee an economic leap unless accompanying measures are put in place and existing challenges addressed.

India’s $120 million investment in Chabahar fully realized

Rasouli said India’s $120 million investment commitment at Chabahar port has been fully realised and that Indian partners continue to play an active role in the project.

He said under a bilateral contract, India had committed to invest $120 million across various sections of the port, a pledge that has now been fully honored.

The PMO head said the investment has been implemented and that equipment linked to the project is currently being purchased and installed.

He said there was a period when progress slowed and certain exemptions were suspended, but that the Indian side pursued the necessary steps to have those exemptions reinstated.

Rasouli added that Indian operators are now officially present at Chabahar port and that cooperation is continuing in line with agreed plans.

Iran’s economic future lies at sea

The official said Iran’s ports need both structural and human-capital renewal, with the goal of creating so-called third-generation ports that are modern not only in infrastructure but also in management and workforce skills.

He said raising the level of training and expertise among port personnel is a priority and that the organisation aims to draw on domestic know-how and the capacities of Iranian universities.

Rasouli said Iran is pursuing constructive engagement with the world alongside reliance on domestic capabilities.

The official finally noted the PMO is legally required to implement provisions of Iran’s seventh national development plan and is moving ahead with those obligations.

He added that smaller ports, which have received limited attention in the past, must be given a stronger role to ensure balanced maritime development.

EF/MA