Lifting of Chabahar Sanctions Waiver Has No Real Impact

TEHRAN (Iran News) Mohammad Rastad, former head of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), told Iranian media that the exemption was largely “symbolic and psychological” rather than a meaningful concession. He explained that the waiver only covered limited cargo transfers from India to Afghanistan through the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar, and did not extend to international shipping lines.

“Foreign shipping lines had already stopped calling at Iranian ports after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, and they were unwilling to take the risk of entering our ports,” Rastad said. “The waiver never changed that reality.”

Rastad, who also served as deputy minister of roads and urban development, stressed that the exemption did not create significant openings for Chabahar, as it never enabled unrestricted international traffic. “As long as Iran remains under sanctions, maritime transport, port operations, and all related services will continue to face limitations,” he noted.

He questioned what tangible benefits the waiver had actually brought to Chabahar. “If there were no concrete achievements during the exemption period, how can its removal create new restrictions?” he asked. He emphasized that sanctions extend beyond port operations, affecting financial channels, equipment procurement, and cargo handling.

One of the key obstacles has been the inability of the Indian terminal operator to deliver on its contractual commitments. “The operator repeatedly cited sanctions as the reason for failing to supply equipment,” Rastad said. “Even when tenders were issued for purchasing port machinery, no international company was willing to participate because of U.S. sanctions.”

According to Rastad, this demonstrates that the waiver was “never a real or effective relief.” Instead, it remained “a paper-based exemption with no special privileges.” Consequently, he argued, its cancellation today has no significant implications for Chabahar’s operations.

Chabahar Port, located on Iran’s southeastern coast, has long been promoted as a strategic hub for regional trade, particularly for India’s access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, international sanctions have consistently hampered its development and global connectivity.